


Fire and Time

by caring_is_creepy3



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-09-12 16:31:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 113,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16876302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caring_is_creepy3/pseuds/caring_is_creepy3
Summary: Rachel doesn't need Max to use her time traveling abilities to save her.She can take care of herself.





	1. Chapter 1

APRIL 2013

Click. A flash lit up the inside of her closed eyes. Turning black to red. She began to be aware of a hard floor beneath her, of her body curled into the fetal position on it’s own accord. She tried to stretch, to move, but felt like her limbs were weighed down. Alarm bells started going off. Where the fuck was she? She started to open her eyes, when another flash made her shut them tight.

“She is coming round. That was fast. How much did you give her?”

“The usual… definitely too soon for her to be awake.”

“Here, get the light on her face, I love their expression… when they start to realize.”

She felt someone kneel down next to her. Slitting her eyes open, she saw a camera in her face. Behind its' lens, she saw her teacher. Anger surged through her.

Click.

“Oh, that was just perfect.”

She tried to move again.

“No Rachel, not yet. God damn girl, you have some tolerance.”

“Should I get more?”

“Yes, get it ready.”

She squinted her eyes against the light, trying to make out the figure walking over to the desk nearby. The voice sounded familiar. 

“Nathan? Is that you?” she croaked out.

He froze, making eye contact with her. Another wave of anger, edging on rage, shot through her. She felt some strength return to her limbs.

Click.

“Even better! God she is the best one yet!”

Nathan came back to their teacher, holding up a syringe. 

“She recognized me, Mark, what are we going to do? They aren’t usually this lucid. She…she is staring right at me…”

“Just shut up, and let me work.”

Rachel continued to stare at them both, as Jefferson took more photos. The drugged part of her wanted so much to close her eyes again, to fall back and just let them do what they were going to do. To give up. She felt the rage flare up again, this time at herself. She had to fight. 

“Shouldn’t we give her this?” Nathan said, holding the syringe out to Jefferson.

“Not yet, look at her expression! I don’t want to lose that yet.”

Rachel let her anger fuel her; she shut off everything else in her mind. She felt the familiar feeling starting to build. The all-encompassing wrath. It usually scared the shit out of her, but she let go of the fear as well.

“My god, Nathan, look at her eyes! Are… are they changing color?”

Suddenly, Nathan’s face appeared before her. 

“Wow, yeah, it looks like the yellow part of them is moving…or growing…”

“Get out of the way Nathan, I want to capture this.”

Rachel shut them both out. She knew what was happening. It felt good, and she hadn’t allowed herself to let go in so long. A smile started to curl her lips. 

Click.

The camera stopped, as Mark recoiled from that smile. They both stared at her as she began to move, something that shouldn’t be possible with the drugs in her system.

Mark was transfixed by her expression, but Nathan grew terrified. He grabbed the syringe and knelt by her, about to plunge it into her neck. Quickly she flashed her gaze out towards him and watched as the syringe began to melt. He dropped it as it started to burn his hand.

“Ah! What the fuck!” Nathan screamed. 

His panic and dread growing; he pulled back his fist and punched Rachel right in the face.

Her body swung backwards, hair falling into her face. She put her hands out to catch herself. Wiping blood from her nose, she slowly turned around to face them. The pain only added to the fury, and as she looked into Nathan’s eyes she saw his fear. And she loved it.

“You picked the wrong girl to do this to…”

She pulled herself up, so she was standing above them. Mark was clicking away, totally focused on capturing what was happening before him. Annoyed she turned towards him, and felt a wave of energy flow through her. Suddenly the camera burst into flame. 

Mark screamed and tried to drop it, but it melted into his hands, casting them in metal. His screams continued as Rachel fed the flames. They jumped up to his hair, his glasses twisting and turning black. His features blending into white hot light that was impossible to look at. 

His screams didn’t last for long, as the flames overtook him. But Nathan kept his up.

“Oh god, oh no!” he screeched as he scrambled backwards. Scooting away from Jefferson and Rachel as fast as he could.

Rachel couldn’t think coherently anymore. She heard Nathan pleading with her, saying it wasn’t his fault. Babbling that he was sorry, that Jefferson was using him. Muttering frantically as he backed away into the corner, Rachel stepped towards him. The pull was too strong. It was so easy to let it out, but so hard to put it back. Even if she wanted to stop, she couldn’t. The betrayal she felt was so overwhelming. 

“How many girls, Nathan? How many before me?”

The look on his face told her that he couldn’t answer. Fear had tied his tongue, and his eyes loomed large. Rachel stalked slowly towards him.

“How fucking many!” she screamed. The hair on his head started to smolder, the tips singeing away.

That is when he glanced over at the desk, drawing her eyes towards the pictures on it. She saw girls, in the same position that she had been. Only they hadn’t gained consciousness. She couldn’t recognize any of them from here, but saw that there were several. All in various states of distress, most of them without their clothes. Some had hands touching them from off frame. She glared back over at Nathan, fists clenched.

“You were the first from Arcadia Bay. We were…were drawn to you,” he stuttered out, “They never woke up, not even when…you… you weren’t suppose to wake up!”

Rachel stepped towards him. Nathan used his last bit of confidence and screamed, “What the fuck are you!?”

Rachel didn’t bother answering him, no that she even could. All those girls, all that innocence lost. She couldn’t hold it back any longer. The strain was ripping her apart. So she let it go. Nathan screamed in agony, as the flames worked their way up his body. The pleasure assaulted her senses as she watched him burn.

___________________________________________________________________

When her mind came back under her full jurisdiction, she looked around. Nathan and Jefferson were ashes on the floor, but the room still looked fine. Just the floors underneath them and the corner Nathan was in had burned black. 

It was nice to know she had a semblance of control over the fire. She just wished she had more over the emotional side as well. It was really strange to loose it like that. This time though was different. She had needed to loose it in order to survive. She had to actually give her body permission. Usually it burst out of her in uncontrollable bits of rage. And she could never summon it on her own accord. She had tried. 

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She felt a little fuzzy, the drugs still addling her mind. She needed to get the fuck out of here.

She wanted to call Chloe, but didn’t want to drag her into another shit show. She could only imagine the girl’s reaction to all of this. The assholes are lucky she had at least killed them quickly. Rachel smirked despite herself; they wouldn’t have been so lucky if Chloe had found out what they were doing.

Chloe knew about Rachel’s … gifts. She had seen it herself the very first time they had hung out. When she had discovered her father’s betrayal and had felt so lost. She had left the junkyard and Chloe’s anguish to go wallow in her own. But Chloe had still found her. The fire she had started that night should have terrified her away, but Chloe seemed to see her in a way no one else ever had.

And she had been there when she finally met her biological mother. She had clenched Chloe’s hand as Sera had told them her story. Sera... That’s whom she needed to call. She needed her phone, which was in her purse. Which was where…?

She searched the room, then around the desk, avoiding looking at the photos. She’d had her purse with her at the party. The last thing she remembered was drinking her wine, and then…Nathan urging her somewhere. It was all so fuzzy. She wonders what the other girls thought had happened. Did they remember anything? The clicks or the flashes? Nathan had alluded to more being done to them; did they feel that on their bodies the next day, never knowing what had actually happened? Were they alive to remember? 

She opened the bottom drawer, seeing her purse on top. When she lifted it out, she saw there were others underneath. A shiver ran up her spine. She felt a wave of fury, but it was tampered by worry. She pulled her phone out of her purse, and tried to turn it on. It was dead. 

She needed to get out of this claustrophobic antiseptic nightmare of a room. Looking down she realized she had on no shoes, and some very short shorts. She cast a scathing glance over at the outline of ashes that used to be Mark Jefferson. 

She was glad he was dead. Did that make her a monster? Pushing her thoughts away from that question, her dragon tattoo caught her eye, giving her courage. She took a deep breath and knew what she needed to do. She was going to have to clean this up, cover her tracks, just like Sera taught her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe’s truck made a hell of a lot of noise. People’s heads turned, attention sparked by the loud roar of the engine. Chloe smiled, and turned up the music, proud of her beast. She had brought it back to life herself, and in return, it gave her freedom. 

As she stopped at a red light, she glanced down at her cell phone. Rachel was supposed to have texted by now; they had planned to meet up in the morning. She was probably just hung over from the party last night. Chloe would have to take her for a greasy breakfast at Two Whales. She turned the truck, heading towards Rachel’s house, looking forward to waking her up.

Suddenly her phone started ringing. Glancing down she saw Frank’s name flashing on the screen.

“Morning Frank, what’s up?”

“Hi Price, where you at?”

“Just driving over to Rachel’s.”

“About her… I thought she was going to drop by last night. Got that money for you guys.”

“What? She didn’t show up?”

“No. I tried calling a couple times, but her phone is off.”

Chloe felt a shade of unease creep through her. Getting that money had been another part of their plan. They were going to get out of town for a bit, go up to Rachel’s family cabin. An intermediary getaway. They had promised each other that they would go to LA after the school year ended, which was only a month or so away. Chloe wanted Rachel to finish off her senior year, even if she couldn’t.

“Do you know how long it’s been off?”

“Hold up, let me check when I called.” There was a brief pause as he looked at his phone. “Tried her a bit after midnight, and then this morning, but it went straight to voicemail.”

“Okay, I’m pulling up to her house now. She is probably just sleeping. Her phone must’ve died or something. We’ll stop by after breakfast, that alright?"

“Sounds good, see ya ladies then.”

“Yeah, see ya.”

She hung up the phone as she turned the ignition off at the curb. Jumping out of her truck, she tried to stamp out the urgency she felt. As she worked her way up to the door, it opened before she got to the porch. James Amber was making his way out the door, briefcase in hand. 

“Oh, hi Chloe.”

“Good Morning, Mr. Amber. On your way to work?”

“Always,” he said with a sad smile, looking preoccupied. “If you are here to see Rachel, she didn’t make it home last night. Again…”

“She…she didn’t?”

The unease was back with a vengeance. If she wasn’t with Chloe, the only other option was Frank’s RV. Both of them stayed there sometimes. But she had already talked to Frank. Where could she have slept last night? Maybe at Blackwell? Rachel didn’t have a dorm there, but they had friends who did. Her concern must have shown on her face.

“What is it Chloe? Is something wrong?” His eyes stared into hers, giving her his full attention, “Did she not stay with you last night?”

“No, but she might have stayed at Blackwell. I will make some calls.”

“Have you tried calling her?”

Chloe sighed, slightly exasperated, “Her phone is off.”

He dropped his briefcase and took his phone out his pocket. Putting it up to his ear, it only took a second for it to go to voicemail.

“Rachel, it’s your Father, please call me as soon as your phone is back on. I know you want your freedom, and we’ve given you quite a bit, but we need to be able to get a hold of you.”

As he hung up he glanced over at Chloe, “You don’t think something could have happened?”

They exchanged a knowing look.

“I don’t see any smoke in the distance,” Chloe said, half kidding, half serious. “She went to a party last night, kind of a Friday night bonfire thing. I couldn’t go, had a shift, but I’ll call the others who were there. See if she stayed with any of them.”

“Okay.” He hesitated, but then bent over and picked up his briefcase. “Please call me as soon as you get a hold of her, otherwise I’ll be worrying all day.”

“I will... promise.”

She climbed back into her truck, waving to Mr. Amber as he pulled away in front of her. She already had her phone out and was scrolling through her contacts.

“Ugh, I hope I don’t have to call Victoria.”

___________________________________________________________________

After getting off the phone with Steph, Chloe started up her truck. The girl had talked to Rachel around 11pm, but hadn’t seen her again all night. She thought she might have seen her with Nathan, but she wasn’t sure. 

When Nathan didn’t answer her call, she decided to drive out towards the beach, where the party had been. She kept checking her phone, willing for Rachel to call her and alleviate her fears.

Why would she have gone off with Nathan? He was good to get drugs from, but otherwise he was pretty weird. Rachel was always nice to him, but he gave Chloe the creeps. He was always scribbling away in his notebook. She had even stopped him from getting bullied once, and he still lashed out at her. Rachel seemed to have empathy for him; he too had a controlling father. Though James had backed way off after the stunt he pulled with Sera.

Chloe smacked her forehead. Sera! Why hadn’t she tried Sera? She got out her phone, and called her. 

“Hello?”

“Hi Sera, it’s Chloe Price, Rachel’s friend?”

“Oh, well how are you Chloe?” she said warmly, “Been a while. Is Rachel okay?”

“Actually, I was wondering…you haven’t seen her have you? I’m trying to track her down.”

“No, not for a few days, but…”

“Wait, sorry, hold on.”

Chloe saw a figure walking down the road. She quickly pulled over, relief flooding through her. When she got closer, it was replaced with concern. She jumped out of the truck, barely putting into park. She left the door open as she rushed over to Rachel. She was only wearing a t-shirt and pj shorts, despite the cool spring air.

“Rachel…oh no… what happened, are you okay?”

“Chloe? Oh thank god. I thought I was going to have to walk all the way to town.”

She looked like she was about to collapse. She had soot or something smeared over her hands and shirt. Her demeanor was pure exhaustion, but as she looked at Chloe, her eyes filled with relief. Chloe realized a voice was squeaking out through her phone. She had forgotten it was even in her hand.

She put it back up to her ear, “Hi Sera, I found her, she is right here.”

She was about to say more when Rachel reached her hand out, “Is that my mom? I need to talk to her.”

Chloe handed her the phone, knowing something must be wrong. Rachel didn’t use the mom term with Sera very often, reserving it for the woman who raised her. They got back into the truck together. Chloe turned the heat on high, trying to warm up Rachel. She was shivering violently, as she curled her legs beneath her, gripping the phone with both hands.

“Mom?”

“Rachel, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I…I am now,” she steadied her voice, “but it happened again,” Rachel looked up making eye contact with Chloe, she reached over and grabbed her hand, “This time though, it…it saved my life.”

___________________________________________________________________

SUMMER 2010

Sera shifted anxiously, glancing out at the bay. They were to meet near the lighthouse by this breathtaking view. She had worn the bracelet Chloe had given back to her. She wanted to put it on Rachel’s wrist again, just as she had as a baby. It was a reminder that she had been there, at least for the beginning. 

She walked nervously up the trail, making her way to the top. When she heard the girls’ laughter she panicked and felt an urge to bolt. Chloe saw her first, giving Sera a reassuring nod and a wave. It helped strengthen her resolve. She had spent too much time running. Too much time numbing.

As Rachel came into view, Sera’s heart almost stopped. Seeing pictures was one thing, but they didn’t do the girl justice. She was a total knockout. A shy smile broke out on her face when she saw Sera. She stood up from the bench and walked towards her.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

They just stared at one another, each taking the other in. Sera reached out her hand lovingly, tucking Rachel’s hair behind her ear.

“You…you are so beautiful, Rachel.”

Rachel embraced her fiercely, and Sera clung back, tears silently running down her face. After a bit, they slowly pulled apart, both wiping their faces.

“Wow, you guys look so much alike, you even cry the same,” Chloe gently teased.

They both let out a shaky laugh. Chloe tried to ease herself away to give them some space, but Rachel gripped her hand, pulling her close. Sera wondered what exactly their relationship was, but knew better than to ask then. It was obvious how much Chloe cared, she was the reason this meeting was even happening.

“Thank you so much Chloe, for bringing her here. After the mill…well… I just didn’t know Jimmy would sink that low.”

“Jimmy?”

“Oh…right, James now I guess. But when we were young and in love it was Jimmy.”

It seemed as though the mere mention of her father set Rachel on edge. “Can you…will you tell me about you and him? How things were?” Rachel asked, her voice beginning to show frustration, “How things got to the point where he would rather drug you than let you see me?”

“Of course. I will be completely honest with you, whatever you want to know.” Sera said trying to match her daughter’s stern gaze. “At the very least, I owe you that.”

This seemed to rub Rachel the wrong way.

“Right, well let’s start with why you left, “ Rachel’s anger suddenly blooming, “Where you have been for the last what? Like 16 years! And why you thought it was okay to abandon your daughter in this fucked up worl-”

Chloe suddenly pulled away from her, “Ahh Rach!” she gasped. Shaking her hand to cool it off.

Rachel barely noticed. She was staring at Sera, her expression demanding an answer. Her rage over her abandonment was bubbling out to the surface. Her eyes stared into her mothers, so much like her own. 

“Where the fuck did you go?!” she yelled, “I…I needed you…and you just….” She was having trouble speaking, the compounding emotions growing out of her control. A flame started to encircle her hands, swirling around her fingers. It blossomed and grew, becoming dangerous.

Sera saw it and reached out for her daughter. She grabbed both of the girl’s hands with her own. Slowly she siphoned off the flames so they danced around their entwined grip.

“Rachel, try to calm down. Breathe. Try to concentrate on your breathing and nothing else.”

Rachel gazed at her mother, the flames on their hands reflecting off their eyes. Shock and surprise replaced her anger. Slowly the flames died away.

“You… you are like me?”

“Yes,” Sera answered, “Apparently in more ways than just looks.”

Rachel sat down on the bench, breathing deeply. She reached out again for Chloe, and the girl was there to grip her hand, after first making sure it was no longer too hot to hold.

Sera felt a chill go through as Rachel looked up, fastidiously staring at her. She appeared as a child looking up at her mother for all the answers. A deep maternal feeling drove it’s way to Sera’s heart, followed by a grief so great she choked on it.   
She swallowed it down, but the overwhelming guilt remained.

“It hasn’t been 16 years, it’s been 15. You had just turned one that summer...”

 

___________________________________________________________________

1995

Jimmy was finishing law school that year. He would carry all his books in a briefcase, already looking so much like the attorney he wanted to be. Sera envied his ambition. She had no idea what to run towards, only what to run away from. Only now, something was happening to her that she couldn’t escape. 

Since she had gotten pregnant with Rachel, her body and mind had started to betray her. She had gone to the doctor at Jimmy’s behest, but was at a loss as to how to truly explain it to either of them. She didn’t want to say too much; worried they would think she was crazy. So had she told them the surface of it. That she was having mood swings she couldn’t control, mostly anger. 

She had always been prone to sadness and self-destruction, it was the driving force behind most of her recklessness, and she had always been good at finding distractions from it. But this…it was like something else was dictating how she reacted. She had always had her temper under control, could use it when she’d need to but it never controlled her. Now though…

The doctor had wanted to know if it got worse after she gave birth, thinking it might be PPD. She told him no, that it seemed like the second she conceived Rachel, she had signed herself up to a constant state of irritability. If she were to stub her toe, or something else mildly irksome, an unreasonable amount of anger swelled inside her. She told him that she longed to escape this feeling, that it scared her. 

She didn’t say how much it actually terrified her. She didn’t tell him that once when she had broken a cup and cut her finger cleaning it up, something rushed through her and melted the fragments of glass to ash. She had stared at the floor in shock, trying to explain what had happened and couldn’t. She didn’t say that once, when Rachel wouldn’t stop crying after hours and hours, she had gone outside and screamed at a dumpster; that it’s contents had exploded in a torrent of flames.

And she definitely didn’t tell him that she had started buying morphine from the guy who lived in the apartment above them. It was the only thing that dulled the fury. 

That doctor’s appointment hadn't changed anything. Things hadn’t improved, but they hadn’t gotten worse either, until her neighbor got busted and sent to jail. She would have to find another hook up, but she had tried to go without. And things had gone well for a bit.

Then one day she was walking home from the park, pushing Rachel along in a stroller. It was a beautiful June day, full of sunshine and happy people. All of the sudden this asshole in a bright yellow Hummer ran through the light and came barreling towards them. She had dodged out of the way just in time. As he roared past them, he shouted at her “to get the fuck out of the way, bitch!”

Now, the fact that seconds earlier she could have been crushed wasn’t what made her so angry. It was that Rachel would have been crushed as well. This motherfucker had almost wiped out her daughter. His big disgusting “making up for his tiny dick” car had almost killed her baby! And he had the nerve to call her a bitch?

That was the last coherent thought she had, suddenly the yellow paint of the car started to crackle and turn dark. It stopped in the middle of the road as the tires melted into the asphalt. The guy behind the wheel fell out of the door and crawled away, just before the whole SUV went up in flames. He made it to the curb just as the whole thing exploded, debris shooting out onto the sidewalk.

She had rushed away from the scene, as people started gathering to stare at the sight in the street. Heard the guy wailing, “My HUMVEE!!! No, no, my beautiful car!!”

Her anger was gone, but her anxiety was just beginning. She had definitely caused that. And it was pure luck that he had gotten out of the Hummer before it exploded. She could have killed him! She could have fucking killed somebody! 

As she pushed the stroller along, panicked thoughts filled her mind. She tried to keep her adrenaline in check as she rushed home.

That night she left Rachel with Jimmy at their apartment after taking some cash from his wallet. She told him she needed some air and walked out the door with determination. She knew where to find what she was looking for.

___________________________________________________________________

That summer her addiction took over. She could try to kid herself that she was strictly medicating, but the truth was she loved heroin. Nothing had ever her made her feel so sure of everything. It was the perfect escape, and she relished each time she put the needle in her arm and felt the rush of the drug taking over. It was swiftly becoming the only time she felt good, felt real.

When Jimmy “please call me James” had found her stash for the third time, she ended up confessing it all. Her dope-sickness was at full tilt, and everything just washed out of her. She told him about the anger and the power that flowed through her, about the guy in the Hummer. About the fire inside her. And he had looked at her like she had lost her mind.

“It’s the drugs, Sera, you need to go to rehab. You need to get some help.”

“You don’t understand, every time I stop I loose control. It isn’t like I am just a junky getting high,” even though a part of her was, “I am scared. I don’t want to hurt anyone, especially the two of you.”

“Have you been thinking of hurting us? Of hurting Rachel?” concern flooding his voice.

“No, of course not! Goddamit, you aren’t fucking listening to me!”

“Because you sound like a fucking lunatic! What the hell am I supposed to think?”

“You could try believing me?”

“This isn’t the first time I have found your...your drugs," he said with a sneer. "I am so sick of you lying to me! I tried to believe you when you said you would stop. And now, I find out it’s a regular thing. How… how can I trust Rachel with you?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Listen, I threw out your stash…”

“You did what!?”

“It’s gone.”

“You son of a bitch!”

“And I am going to take Rachel and stay at a my mom’s for a bit. She can watch her when I go to class.”

“No…no fucking way! You aren’t taking my daughter anywhere!”

Sera couldn’t believe he was just going to desert her like this. After everything she had given him! She was getting so worked up she didn’t notice that the counter where he was standing had started to bubble. 

He lifted his hands away from it, his eyes widening, “Sera…?”

She was too angry to hear him, “You would really just leave, after all our plans, you would just abandon me and take Rachel with you?!”

“Sera! Stop!”

His hair had started to char, and he looked terrified. Rapidly she realized what was happening. She quickly turned away from him, directing all her anger at the far corner of the room. Their bed burst into flame, quickly followed by the curtains and their dresser.

Sera collapsed into a state of tears. When she looked around James had picked up Rachel, holding her tightly to his chest.

“Oh my god! The whole apartment is going up.”

They fled the building together, their fight momentarily forgotten. They watched from outside as their apartment burned. Both lost in deep thought as the fire truck came screeching up. As the building was evacuated and the firefighters went in, they said nothing to one other.

Slowly the fire was put out. When Sera tried to take the baby from him, he turned away from her fretfully. James looked at her in a way she had always feared, continuing to clutch Rachel to his chest. 

He slowly backed away from her, shaking his head. She moved forward aggressively, and he backed away again. As he turned away from her, shielding Rachel with his body, she grabbed his wallet out of his back pocket. She took the cash from inside, and threw the wallet back at him. “Fuck you.”

There was only one thing she needed. And so she left to find it.

___________________________________________________________________

SUMMER 2010

“I am so sorry Rachel, I wish I had an excuse, but I don’t.”

“But the fire?”

“It was only a catalyst…heroin took over my life. It is like selling your soul, or that old story about the monkey paw. It grants you the best feeling, but also the worse. It devours your existence. Everything becomes secondary to feeding that addiction. Including you…who should have been the most important part of my life,” tears slowly ran down her face, “I am so sorry.”

“But Dad… he didn’t help you at all?”

“He… sent money, which kept me supplied, but it also kept me away." She turned her head down, shoulders slumped, "We didn’t really have much communication after that night.”

“What changed, what brought you back?”

“You did. Not a day has gone by, including when I was using, that I didn’t think of you. Wonder what you were doing, what you looked like,” she nodded over to Chloe, “or who your friends were.” 

She took a deep breath, “Heroin helped me run away from those thoughts, to kill the guilt. But when I got clean… god, that guilt was all consuming. But, I was lucky. Someone…someone found me. And helped me. She helped me get myself clean, and then showed me a way to control my…. other impulses. I’ve been clean for a little over a year… minus the incident at the mill.” 

Rachel’s brow furrowed, “I hate Dad for that, and for lying to me all these years.”

“He was trying to protect you,” Sera said, having a hard time believing that she was actually defending James.

Rachel sat thinking things through. She held up her hands, marveling at them, “So, what caused it? What is it?”

“All I have is theories, but nothing concrete. Most of what I have formed is from fictional works.” Sera added with a smirk, “Stephen King has helped a lot.”

“Well, what are your theories?”

“It’s called pyrokinesis, we can summon flames at will, or at least when we are feeling the extremes of our emotions. As for what caused it…I have no idea. Now that I know you have it too, it cements the idea that it happened when you were in the womb.”

“So…I could have given it to you?”

“I’m not saying that,” she said, gently shaking her head, “all I am saying is that nothing remotely supernatural occurred until I turned 20, and got pregnant with you. When did it first happen for you?”

“I don’t know…11 or 12? And then a couple months ago…the wildfire…. that was my fault. But…. I haven’t felt the emotional change that predated yours.” She laughed humorlessly, “unless you count puberty…”

Sera contemplated this new information, “Nothing before that you can remember?”

“I… maybe? I will have to ask Dad and Mo…Rose. They would know better.”

Sera scoffed, “Good luck asking James, does he know about that wildfire yet?”

“No…” Rachel said dejectedly.

Sera felt remorseful about her previous response, she was just still so mad at him. “Don’t worry, Rachel, he has probably already discerned you have… abilities, “ then added, “Besides, you mean everything to him, he will try to…”

“Didn’t you mean everything to him at some point too?” Rachel interrupted.

Sera shrank away from that question. It was too painful. Rachel seemed to realize this, but looked at loss for what to say.

Chloe cleared her throat, changing the subject, “So can you control it? Like you said… summon it at will?”

Rachel too, looked intriguingly at her mother, “Yeah, can you?”

“Yes… well sort of. It’s more that I control when not to do it.”

The sun had set, and the sky had turned dark. She knew that they were going to have to leave soon, and this filled her with misery. She sighed, “But I can do this.”

She stood up, letting that sadness fill her. She needed to let it fuel her. The emotion started to cloud her mind, but then she looked at Rachel, and found a new emotion there. A deep maternal pride that she never had access to before. Her daughter was beautiful and smart, and they shared something incredible. She was hopeful for a future with her. This new happy emotion filled her core, much more powerful than she had expected. She stood near the cliff’s edge, staring out at the bay. The stars were coming out.

Suddenly a rope of flame appeared, and began twisting in the sky. It danced around, growing in length. It slowly broke apart into five pieces; they curved and joined together again, forming the shape of a blazing star wavering before them.

Chloe cheered, “Wow, awesome!”

Sera broke the star apart and connected all the parts into a snake. She added wings and claws and it become a magnificent flying dragon. She let the beast soar in front of them, opening the mouth and making it breath out a fresh gust of flame. Briefly glancing over at the girls, she saw their mouths were both hanging open. Their eyes wide with wonder. 

She smiled, and then let her emotion slowly fade into the background. She focused on her lungs pulling in air and pushing it back out. The dragon slowly dripped away. The night overtook them once more as the afterimage still flourished through their sight.

___________________________________________________________________

“So… your mom is fucking amazing!” Chloe exclaimed, flopping down onto her bed. She reached over and grabbed her ashtray, lighting a cigarette.

Rachel grabbed another from the pack, “Yeah…”

“I mean woah…just woah.” Chloe shook her head, “ I had no idea your powers were anything like that!”

“Mine aren’t… hell I never even really believed they were real. I mean that fire I started…. I just lost control…”

Chloe propped herself up on her elbows, “Hey Rach, look at me. You just turned 16. How long did it take Sera? You will totally learn." Her glee growing, "And become a hot ass fucking fire starter!”

Rachel smiled at Chloe’s excitement. She put her cigarette in her mouth and lay down slowly on the bed. She stared up at the ceiling contemplating, as she absently played with the bracelet now back on her wrist. 

“I wonder if my Dad does know. Probably. Just another fucking thing he has lied to me about.”

Chloe grabbed her hand, “Hey, don’t think about that now, we will come up with the perfect way to ask him about it.”

Rachel nodded her head, “Yeah, you’re right.” Flipping over, she smirked at Chloe, her eyes flashing, “Want to see if I can summon some flame dragons?”

“Hell yes.” Chloe replied, sitting up. “But I don’t want you to burn down my room… or my house,” Chloe added teasingly.

“Duh, goof,” Rachel joked, pushing Chloe over. “We aren’t going to do it here. Let’s go out to the beach, it’s late and no one will be there.”

“Plus, the water is right there,” Chloe said, smiling widely as she jumped up and pulled Rachel off the bed.

They grabbed some blankets from the hall closet, and made there way out to her freshly-able-to-start truck, and loudly drove to the beach. Chloe turned the music up, and they both sang along at the top of their lungs.

The sand was cold to the touch, but the air was warm. After taking off their shoes, they walked away from the parking lot. They strolled along the surf, making sure no one was around. They had the whole beach to themselves. They stood for a while, toes in the sand, facing the ocean. They watched as the pointed buoys near the shore rose and fell with the waves.

“You ready?” Chloe asked.

Rachel nodded, and raised her hands. She concentrated with all her might and willed the flames to appear. Nothing happened. She scrunched her face up and tried to compel the energy to flow through her.

Chloe started to laugh, pointing at her, “Your face!” She doubled over, overcome with hilarity. Slapping her knee, completely unable to stop the laughter bellowing out of her. Every time her giggles would subside, she’d look up at Rachel and start laughing again.

Rachel put her hand on her hip and tried to project offense, but couldn’t keep it up. Her expression cracked into a grin, and the girls collapsed into the sand, laughing their asses off.

As they slowly caught their breaths, interrupted by a few snickers, they rolled out the blankets they brought with them.

Lying down, they stared up at the stars. Rachel turned on her side and faced Chloe.

“It seems impossible.”

“It should be impossible, but if any one could do it, it would totally be you.” Chloe said confidently, putting her arms behind her head and looking up at her.

Rachel stared at the girl, her heart beating fast, and not just from the recent amusement. She was so grateful to have her by her side. She wanted to tell her, but couldn’t find the words to convey just how much she appreciated her. Instead, she leaned down and gave the girl a soft kiss. Trying to put all the sentiments she couldn’t express into it.

As they pulled apart, Chloe reached up and pushed Rachel’s hair out of her face, “Even if you didn’t have superpowers, you would still be my favorite person.”

“Thank you, Chloe, for everything. You are so important to me. I would be so… lost without you. I don’t know what I….”

Chloe pulled her down, and silenced her with her lips. Their kiss deepened as Rachel closed the space between them. As their tongues tentatively touched, their bodies rolled against each other. They explored each other’s mouths as Rachel played with the girl’s short hair. Chloe slowly teased her tongue along the roof of the blonde’s mouth, sending a shiver through her. 

Lost in each other, neither of them noticed the violet blue lights hovering around all the buoys in the bay, St. Elmo’s fire dancing over their points.

___________________________________________________________________


	3. Chapter 3

JUNE 2013

Max made her way up to her room, crashed through the door and threw her bag down on the bed. She had just finished the last day of her junior year, and she didn’t have to go back to that school ever again. She radiated an exuberant glee that could only be associated with summer vacation starting. 

She had decided to return to Arcadia Bay in the fall, now that she had more of a say in the matter. She would be eighteen in September and her parents couldn’t really stop her. That is unless they refused to pay for Blackwell tuition…

She should probably give them more credit; it was not like they were trying to prevent her from going. At least not actively. They just made subtle hints that they didn’t want her to leave yet. 

Over dinner, her mom would say little comments like, “not sure how you’ll get by without my cooking,” and then laugh with an artificial merriment, before excusing herself from the room. And she kept noticing her dad staring at her with big gloomy eyes when she wasn’t looking, like he was never going to see her again.

Guess their empty nest syndrome was kicking in early. And she was getting the brunt of it, another side effect of being an only child.

She felt that sweet summer buzz, and let it flow through her. She moved her guitar and plopped herself down on the bed. Just the knowledge of so many free days ahead of her, brought a wily smile to her face.

She reached into her bag and grabbed her camera, turning it towards her and taking a photo, wanting to capture that blithe emotion.

And then she spontaneously blacked out.

What felt like a second later, she found herself seated at her desk. In front of her was a sheet of paper with her handwriting on it. Gripped tightly in her hand was a pen she did not remember picking up. 

She didn’t remember moving from her bed. 

She freaked out, jumping up from the desk and throwing the pen across the room. She hyperventilated as her brain tried to catch up on the missing time. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. 

She took some shallow breaths that gradually turned deeper. Trying to steady herself, she contemplated telling her parents. As she debated the pros and cons of this action, curiosity got the better of her, and she sat back down to look at the letter.

She leaned over to start reading and deep red splotches seeped down onto the paper. She put her hand to her nose and realized it was dripping blood.

Stifling the bleed with her sleeve she read, “You need to go back now. Chloe and Rachel need you. They are in danger.” There was nothing else written on the paper. She lifted it up and checked both sides.

“Who the fuck is Rachel?” she thought to herself. 

She got up and left her room. She grabbed a Kleenex from the bathroom and began inspecting her nose in the mirror. The blood was starting to let up.

She tried to focus her thoughts. Why would she write that? 

She knew a large part of why she was returning wasn’t just for Blackwell. Especially after she had read that Mark Jefferson was M.I.A. 

Speculation was that he had taken off early on some sort of photography expedition, and may or may not be back the following school year. He was an awesome photographer, and she was excited to have him as a teacher, but the main reason she was going back was Chloe. 

She felt terrible for essentially ghosting the girl. But it wasn’t an out of sight out of mind thing. She still thought about her a lot, and felt really guilty. But it was almost easier to widen the space between them, knowing she didn’t have a choice over the distance.

Still, William had died and she had left, and she had no idea how her friend was doing. Her best friend, if she were being honest with herself. Not that she was a total loner now; she had a few close friends, but no one she wanted to stay in Seattle for.

Maybe she should go back earlier, hell she didn't even know for sure if Chloe would even be there in the fall. She was a year older than her.

After she cleaned herself up, she left the bathroom and changed her shirt. Heading downstairs and finding her mom in the kitchen, she eased herself down at the counter.

“Hey Mom.”

Vanessa Caulfield was standing near the sink, the water running. She shut it off and turned around. Studying her daughter, her eyes filled with concern, “Are you okay, sweetie? You look a little pale.”

“Yes, just… think you could get me a glass of water?” She didn’t want to worry her mother, and wasn’t sure how she would react to nosebleeds and blackouts. God… what if she had a brain tumor?

After setting the glass down on the counter, and making sure Max took a big sip, her mother returned to her task. It looked like she was cleaning off some shells in the sink. She turned her back to Max and began chatting idly about how she was going to decorate the bathroom with them.

Max was only half listening, still deep in thought about what that letter upstairs entailed. She barely noticed her mom was standing before her again, holding out a shell for her to see.

“This is my favorite one, isn’t it beautiful?” 

Max took it into her hand, examining it. She understood why it was her mom’s favorite, the delicate swirl and the compounding colors. It was magnificent. She wanted to take a picture of it.

“Wowser, that is quite the find, I’ve never seen one quite like that.” Max said, as she traced her finger along the various shades of blues.

As she went to give it back to her mother, the slippery surface caused it to shoot right out of her hand. They both watched in dismay as it bounced off the counter and shattered across the floor.

Max held out her left hand to try to catch it, a belated response at best. And that is when things got really weird.

Her mother froze, and then looked to be moving backwards, hand going back to her side. The shell put itself back together, pieces rejoining and mending. It flew back up to the counter, and then nestled itself back into Max’s hand. 

She gripped it tightly as she watched her mother reversing; picking her cup up off the counter, the water sloshing out and jumping back into the jug, the glass going back into the cupboard. She watched her mother face back towards the sink, the water turning back on.

Max continued to hold onto the shell, in complete shock. Time was rewinding. 

Her head started to ache. Dropping her left hand, she let go of something intangible she didn’t even know she was holding onto. 

Her mother started to move normally again, resuming the cleaning of her shells. 

What the hell was that? 

She was still seated at the counter, at a complete loss for words. Her mind short-circuited as she looked down at her left hand. She must’ve made some sort of awestruck sound, because her mother jumped around.

“Holy shit, Max! You scared the heck out of me!” she was gripping her chest, taking deep breaths. “How long have you been there?”

“I’ve… I’ve been right here… for a bit…” she stuttered out.

Vanessa turned the water off again, and walked over to her daughter. “Are you okay, sweetie? You look a little pa- do you have a bloody nose?”

Max was struck speechless as she dabbed her face, spotting blood on her fingers once more. Her mother got her a paper towel.

After she handed it to her, she noticed the shell gripped in her daughter’s hand. “Oh and you found my shell?” She glanced back at the other shells in the sink, “Wow, you can be really sneaky when you want to.” 

She frowned looking back at Max, “Hmm… I must’ve left that one on the counter…” She looked confused, like she was trying to figure something out, but then dismissed it. “Isn’t it unique? Definitely my favorite.”

Max nodded, holding the paper towel up to her nose. She stared down at the colors again, and then carefully set it down onto the counter. It was in perfect condition, definitely not the smashed bits it had been a moment before.

She got up gingerly, backing away slowly, keeping her eye on the shell. She mumbled that she was going to go deal with her nose, and fled back up the stairs.

___________________________________________________________________

Sera knocked at the door of the Amber house, hoping it would be Rachel who would answer. She was not so lucky. Raising her head she found herself staring into the stern gaze of James Amber.

Her stomach flipped, it had been awhile since she had seen him. They tended to avoid each other as much as possible. She had been back in Rachel’s life for almost three years now, but it still unsettled her so to see him. 

They just looked at each other, neither wanting to be the first to talk. Sera shuffled her feet. The energy between them was still overtly palpable. She hadn't forgotten how he had kissed her that day in the park, something that still perplexed her. He was just standing there studying her. She was about to ask if she could come in when Rose appeared behind him.

“Hi Sera, come on in, won’t you?” Rose asked warmly, pushing James aside with an aggravated expression.

She crossed the threshold, entering the home that could have been hers if she had made different choices. She didn’t like to think that way but it just popped into her head. But her past had helped form who she was today, and she was proud of that. Though she had made immense mistakes, she wouldn’t change how they had ended up shaping her. 

Once at an NA meeting a guy had made a speech about how recovered addicts gained an exceptional strength and insight that most humans would never know. Constantly taking a moral inventory and trying to transform faults into redeemable qualities can do that to a person.

She took a deep breath, forcing a smile, “Hope you are both well.”

Rose looked like she was about to make conversation when James interrupted her, “Shall we go into the office?”

He walked away without waiting for an answer.

“Is Rachel here yet?” she asked, smiling at Rose and following him. She knew the girl rarely stayed at home, given that she was a month shy of her nineteenth birthday.

She was relieved when she and Chloe had postponed their trip to LA. She understood their desire to get out of Arcadia Bay, but after what happened in April she was glad they were still close by. 

“Not yet, but there was something I wanted to talk to you about first.” James said as he led her into his office.

She expected Rose to follow, but when she looked back the woman wasn’t there.

“Does Rose know about what is going on? About Prescott and Jefferson? About Rachel?”

“No. And I would prefer that she never did.”

“Still keeping secrets, huh Jimmy?” she asked, watching with satisfaction as he was rifled by the name she used to call him.

He ignored the question by changing the subject. “Sean Prescott came into my office today. He has hired a private eye to look for his son.”

The gravity of the situation settled upon them both. 

“Did he mention Mark Jefferson at all?” she asked. “Does he still think he’s off on some photo taking trip?”

“No, he did not, and I sure as hell didn’t ask.”

Sera had been the one who had snuck into Jefferson’s house and packed his bags, burning them in the junkyard Chloe had gotten her truck from. They had both gone with Rachel back to the Prescott barn to get his car. 

Sera had wanted to go in and see the dark room for herself, but James convinced her that they shouldn’t risk the physical evidence that could leave. And one look at Rachel had told her that she never wanted to see that room again. So they had left, James driving Jefferson’s car and parking it near the airport.

“Do you think he knew about the dark room… do you think he has been there?”

“Yes,” James answered bluntly. “I think he knows most everything that goes on in this town.”

Sera found it extremely disturbing that he could have been aware of what his son had been up to, had maybe even encouraged it. James had said that Sean Prescott was the reason Jefferson was hired at the school. Apparently they had known each other for a long time. He could’ve taken part in all of it.

That meant Rachel could still be in danger, as well as other girls in town. She was distracted by her worrisome thoughts, when a shaky sigh from across the room brought her back. 

James was running his hand through his hair, and appeared to be close to tears. 

She tentatively moved towards him, summoning her most gentle voice, “Hey… what’s wrong?”

“This… this isn’t good, Sera. Sean is an indomitable asshole, and persistent as hell. He won’t just let this go.” His voice cracked as he added, “I am so fucking worried about Rachel.”

A part of her wanted to go to him, to comfort him. She was debating whether or not to do just that, when they heard the front door open.

___________________________________________________________________

“I’m home!” Rachel called out as she made her way into the living room.

She dropped her bag of laundry down, and looked around her. The house still looked impeccable. Rose had a very type A personality. Actually so did her father. The house was unnaturally clean. 

This inherited structure had benefited her greatly when it came to school. She had graduated with a 4.0 GPA and had her choice of universities. 

Her riotous side must have been passed down genetically from Sera, she thought with a smile.

She was glad that her parents had had the foresight to wait a year before starting her in kindergarten. She had been one of the oldest in her class, rather than the youngest. 

Chloe and her were starting to change their tune about LA. As much as she loved California, both the girls were talking about driving north instead. They wanted to go to BC for Rachel’s birthday. No fake ID required.

Not that Rachel had much trouble getting past bouncers. All she had to do was turn on her immaculate charm. She knew how to use her looks and her personality to her advantage. And she easily recognized when she was getting used for them. Back in 2010, she felt like she had been drowning in this dance. Now, though, she knew how to let go of the facade. Chloe had taught her. She smirked to herself when she thought of the other things Chloe had taught her as well.

She picked up her laundry again and took it back to the washing machine. Glancing out the window, she saw Rose in the garden. It was in full bloom, and looked beautiful.

Rose looked happy, working her hands into the soil. Ignorance was bliss, Rachel thought; imagine what she would think if she knew the girl she raised was a murderer.

Her mind started to travel down that wormhole of fucked up thoughts as she dumped in her clothes and turned on the machine.

Jefferson’s hands running and combining with the melted camera. His glasses cracking, his eyebrows raised, mouth open in a horrified scream. 

Nathan scurrying away from her like she was the boogeyman. Pressed in the corner as she sent a cyclone of flames that worked it’s way from his feet up to his legs, growing in strength as it consumed him.

The clicks and the flashes. The way her drugged mind had made her vision swim and her limbs swoon. The pictures on the desk, of all the girls before. 

And the purses.

“Rachel?”

She jumped around looking at the doorway. Sera was standing there looking concerned.

“Hey, Sera, sorry was sort of lost in thought there... Where is Dad?”

“He’s in the office, you said you wanted to talk to us?”

Rachel nodded her head, and they walked together back to her father’s office, Sera with comforting arm around her.

As she greeted her father, she noticed he looked worn out. She contemplated mentioning this, but let it go. He was a busy man, who constantly pushed himself too far. He was probably just tired.

She thought about how she should start. She had practiced with Chloe, but now that she was here in front of them, she was unsure how to begin.

She realized she was holding her breath, and let it out slowly. Looking at her parents, she started speaking. “Okay, so I have been having dreams. More like nightmares.”

Her father started to open his mouth, but she silenced him with a gesture and continued.

“It’s not about what I went through, though I have those as well. It’s about the others. Remember when I told you about what Nathan said?”

They silently nodded at their daughter, both fearing and expecting where this was going.

“And in the desk… there were other purses in there...and all those photos.” She took a deep breath, and just stated it bluntly, “I want to go to the police. Those girls deserve justice.”

James straightened up, “Absolutely not.”

Rachel shifted her body into an offensive posture, getting ready to make her argument.

Sera decided to take another approach, interceding before Rachel got too upset, “Didn’t… didn’t you already give them justice?”

Rachel’s response died on her tongue at that. The fight went out of her. She shook her head with tears in her eyes, “I would have been killed that night. I can feel it.”

Her father approached her and put his hands on her shoulders, raising her chin so her eyes met his. “But you weren’t, you are here in front of us.”

“But if I had been… wouldn’t you want to know what had happened to me?”

James had no response to this, he looked caught off guard, and so she looked over at Sera. Her expression was of understanding, “Of course we would.”

Rachel continued, “All those girls… they had parents, and maybe he let them go, but I don’t think so…” she stifled a sob, “I think they are out there, buried in some shallow grave, and their parents are frantically trying to find them. I… I can’t just…move on… can’t just pretend that they aren’t.”

James shifted away from his daughter, crossing his arms and contemplated this. Sera moved over to comfort Rachel, whose tears were silently running down her face. They both stood watching him as he thought, awaiting his response.

“We… you can’t go to the police. You can’t implicate yourself, I don’t want you associated with this in any way.” He held up his hand to silence her rebuttals, and added kindly, “That doesn’t imply we aren’t going to do anything.”

Rachel looked hopeful, “What does that mean?”

“I… I’m not sure yet.” He said, looking uncomfortable that he didn’t have an answer. “Give me some time to think things through.”

Rachel went to her father, throwing her arms around him. Relief flooded through her, “Thank you for understanding. This… this has been tearing me up.” She pulled her face away from his chest and choked out, “I keep seeing those fucking purses.”

She felt Sera behind her stroking her hair reassuringly, and it felt so good to have her parent’s support. She let it all out, tears streaming down her face. Only Sera perceived that they weren’t falling to the floor, but evaporating into the air.

___________________________________________________________________

Sean Prescott gripped the wheel of his luxury automobile, throwing his foot onto the gas. He did his best thinking in the car. Sometime he would drive just for this purpose. Now, he was making his way south, away from Arcadia Bay.

He was enveloped in that unsettled feeling; the one that usual predestined a huge blow out. Like the one that had made his daughter leave home and never come back. And now his son was gone as well.

God, he needed some release.

And where the fuck was Mark Jefferson? He didn’t buy that bullshit about him leaving town. Not when Sean had set him up with such a sweet deal, a deal they both benefitted from. 

He thought about his past exploits with the man. They had made a good team. He had been helping with Nathan as well. The boy seemed like he was heading towards the insane asylum. That kind of wild emotion was something Sean could never understand. Course, he didn’t empathize with any emotions. Though he was good at faking them.

He slapped his hand down on the wheel, aggravation crawling over his skin. He needed a relief. It had been too long. His money bought him a lot, but it didn’t buy him that. Well… at least not directly.

He let his mind wander, to the fantasies he had acted out and the ones yet to be acted on.

As he continued driving he noticed a girl on the side of the road with her thumb out. He slammed on the brakes and pulled the car over. He glanced around to make sure there was no other traffic, and rolled down the window. He tried preparing his face so that it appeared wholesome and generous. Jefferson usually did this part. 

“Need a ride?”

“Yes,” the girl said hesitantly. “I got this far with a group of guys, but they started drinking and getting weird, so I had them drop me off.”

“Where are you headed?”

“As far south as you can take me, going to San Francisco.”

“Do you have family down there?”

She looked at him, assessing, “Why?”

“Oh, just concerned. See I have a daughter as well. Kristine. Wouldn’t want her wandering up and down the west coast alone.”

This seemed to reassure her. “I am actually from Michigan. Flew out to Portland to see some friends, but have always wanted to go to California. Just going on a bit of an adventure.”

Sean unlocked the door, putting on the warmest smile he could manage. “Well get in, I will take you. I’ve got some business in Sacramento,” he lied.

“Awesome, thank you so much,” she said, climbing into the car.

“No problem,” he replied with a shark like grin. “No problem at all.”

He glanced over at the girl, she was petite with short curly blonde hair. How serendipitous this was.

The unsettled feeling left him. Just excitement remained.


	4. Chapter 4

JUNE 2013

Chloe was having one of her dreams again. As eerie as they could be, every time they transpired it filled her with a soothing sense of comfort. She got to see her father again. Even if he did speak all cryptic and shit.

This time they were out on the beach. But instead of the sea being full of water, it was full of fire.

William was standing by the edge, fishing pole in hand, eyes glowing orange from the radiating blaze.

“Dad?”

He didn’t answer. But she’d had plenty of similar dreams before, and knew what he wanted. She looked around and saw there was another fishing pole in the sand for her. She picked it up, shook it off and cast out into the sea of flames.

Without prompting, he began to speak. “Fire will grow and consume with little persuasion.” 

Suddenly a cold vicious gale blew across the beach, almost knocking her over. It fed the flames instead of tampering them. They grew wild, and even more ominous.

He took a step backwards looking down. Chloe copied him, noticing that the sea level was rising. She was trying to not be mesmerized by the waves of fire crashing against each other. It was hard.

“Oh, looks like you might have caught something.” William smiled at her.

Her fishing pole was curved and jerking, the line pulling farther out. She began vigorously reeling it in.

William seemed tickled by her struggle, or excited over the catch.

“Are you going to help at all?” she asked incredulously.

He shook his head, “This is something you have to do alone.”

Suddenly her lure broke through the surface. At the end of her line wasn’t a fish but a big blue butterfly. Like creepy big.

“Holy shit, that thing is huge!” Chloe exclaimed.

It took off into air, soaring above the roaring sea. They watched it fly. She expected it to burn, but it seemed impervious to the fire.

The cold wind gusted again, stronger than before. She almost lost hold of the pole, but gripped tighter, wading into the flames. Chloe braced herself for the burn, but it never came. 

Instead, the fishing pole transformed. It became a red line of yarn. Starting at the butterfly, it split off in several directions, including the one she was holding. The other ends dangled down into different parts of the sea. The flames started to trickle upwards, slowly eating up the other lines, until the only one that remained was the one in her hand.

“Hold on tight, sweetheart.” Her father spoke from behind her, his voice fading.

She wanted to turn, to see him one last time. But it was too late. She awoke with a start in her bed, arms still outstretched, clinging to nothing but air.

She dropped her hands with shaky laugh.

Rachel was curled up next to her, and seemed to be struggling with her own nightmares. Chloe slowly rubbed her back until her restlessness receded. She eased herself out of bed, not wanting to wake the other girl.

She glanced at her clock. It was 7:24am, way too early to actually get up. Chloe so did love to sleep in, but she needed to do something real quick. 

She reached into her bedside and grabbed her journal. She had stopped using it much the last couple years, but the letters to Max were still in the beginning. She flipped past them to a blank page, and wrote down her dream.

She wanted to remember every single detail. They seemed to be getting more and more prophetic. She wanted to try to decipher this latest one in the morning.

Definitely not now though, she thought, her eyes growing heavy. Yawning she crawled back into bed. Rachel made an endearing little noise and snuggled up to her. She put her arm around the girl, falling back asleep as she contemplated the challenges of wrangling a giant butterfly.

___________________________________________________________________

Max had been having way too much fun.

She had gotten over her fear quickly, and was still awash in the discovery phase. She didn’t know where this power came from, but she was quickly becoming accustomed to it, and testing it’s limits. It was marvelous.

She had always been quite reticent and reserved. Lacking confidence, she would sometimes not act, not knowing what the results of said action would be. Well she had gotten over that little idiosyncrasy. She could just rewind.

She was trying not to abuse this power, but she wasn’t exactly using it for good either. Not that she wanted to jump around Seattle’s rooftops in a mask and a cape, but she was starting to feel guilty only using them for herself.

Everything had become available to her. She could think of so many things that she could do, but most all of them were pretty devious. Still she couldn’t help trying a few out.

Polaroid film was crazy expensive. 

So she’d bought some with a debit card, left, and then rewound to before she had even gone into the store. When she checked her account to make sure there weren’t any charges, she did it again at a super fancy restaurant.

When she went back in time, she had to make sure she was in the same position she had been in. Otherwise she appeared out of nowhere and really freaked people out. Which was another fun thing to do. 

She had been scaring people all over the city. 

Her favorite had been this angry little man. He had been screaming at a meter maid over the ticket on his windshield. He was being quite cruel, insulting her personally. He had picked up the ticket and was shaking it in the woman’s face. So Max had tried freezing time instead of just rewinding. 

It hurt her head more, but it worked. Everything around her froze. The cars, the people, even the air felt stifled. And it was eerily quiet. But she could move. 

So she had walked over, taken the ticket out of his hand and shoved it into his open mouth, stuck in mid yell. Moving back into position she had let the natural time flow resume.

Instantly he’d started coughing, eyes open wide in alarm. And then he had spewed out the ticket. The meter maid was even more surprised; she’d had a better view and looked completely flabbergasted. Both their expressions were really quite hilarious. 

But then the asshole became convinced that the woman had somehow done it, and started to grow hysterical, throwing out threats. So Max had rewound. 

She’d paid special attention to where the ticket went. She wanted to know if her interventions upon an object would be erased as well. It did go back into his mouth but than shifted back to his hand, recounting the frozen time. She’d walked away as he resumed his yelling, wondering if the ticket felt wet.

She also enjoyed the extra sleep, but as it was summer, she didn’t need to use it that way often. Plus she wasn’t sure if she was aging in that extra time. Or de-aging when she reversed. And she had no idea how to figure this out on her own. She imagined a scientist might, but wasn’t sure if she should tell anyone.

She’d already tried with her father. 

At first he’d been quite worried about her mental state, asking if she had taken something. But when she teleported across the room in a matter of a millisecond, he was quickly convinced. The look on his face though… 

His words had been supportive and loving but he was looking at her with an awestruck horror. She didn’t like it. So she had taken a picture, pulled the photo out of the camera, and rewound. Going back as far as she could to before her father had even gotten home. 

Staring down at the photo and the expression, she’d realized she never wanted to tell her parents. But she needed to tell someone. She was starting to feel a solitude that was suffocating. An isolating remoteness that made her feel apart. She also realized the amazing photo opportunities her power now enabled. 

She wished she had gotten one of the angry little man and the meter maid.

But she hadn't forgotten the letter. And as she lay in bed every night before sleep, she imagined what Chloe’s reaction would be to her showing up with the ability to control time. So she decided it was time to leave Seattle, and called Blackwell herself to see if she could move into the dorm over the summer. 

Apparently this was somewhat common, because they had agreed right away. As long as her parent’s would pay for it of course, and sign a waver of liability since there was only security on staff.

Convincing her parents hadn't gone well the first time. Or the second or third. The fourth was super close, but the fifth… the fifth smoothly sealed the deal. It’d had been beautiful. She’d countered all their arguments with the perfect answers, feeling suave as hell. They’d begrudgingly said yes.

Now she was on a Greyhound making her way south. They’d just passed the state line, and she was back in Oregon. She wished she could speed this trip up. It was taking forever. The bus stopped in every random little town in came near. 

But she wasn’t able to go forward in time at all. She had tried, but it was like there was an invisible wall that couldn’t be penetrated.

She wasn’t too keen on using her powers on the bus anyway. Even though there were plenty of good candidates to talk to. Or say shocking things to, take their picture, and rewind.

But she wasn’t sure what kind of role motion played in all of it. What if she rewound 10 seconds and found herself thrown out into the freeway, still occupying the space she had been in. She didn’t fancy getting hit by a car. Of course, if motion didn’t apply, wasn’t the earth constantly rotating? 

That question bamboozled her brain, so she placed it in the don’t-think-about-it corner of her mind. Instead she curled up in the seat and tried to get some sleep.

___________________________________________________________________

Sean Prescott pulled up to the barn, seeing that Pallas was already waiting for him. She had always been extremely punctual. He turned off the ignition and got out.

“Have you been inside yet?” he asked.

“No, I was waiting for you,” she responded in her European accent.

He nodded his head and walked into the barn. He lifted up the trap door on the floor as she followed. After climbing down, he made his way to the pin pad, typed in 524, opened the heavy door, and silently ushered her inside.

She glanced around her, seemingly unfazed. “When were you last here?”

“I briefly checked in May to make sure Nathan wasn’t here. That was the only time.”

He didn’t like being here. This was Jefferson’s domain, not his. Unconscious girls seemed so boring. He preferred to be with them out under the sky, in the woods, when they would wake up. When they would run.

“Do you need a pin to get back out?”

“No, not unless someone locks it from the outside.”

She walked around the perimeter of the room. Pointing out the burn spots on the floor and corner, she asked apathetically, “Did they set them on fire as well?”

“Not to my knowledge.” Their treatment of the girls was relatively tame, especially when compared to his. “Mark’s photography though… they look like controlled burns, maybe they were for aesthetic purposes?”

Pallas went over to the desk, “You need to get rid of this stuff. Especially the binders.”

“I am aware.”

Her eyes lingered over his, assessing, but she said nothing.

Sean moved over to the couch, and calmly sat down. Staring at the white backdrop before him, he let the woman work. 

He wondered again, in a distant way, where his son was. He didn’t miss him; he just felt a detached anger that he couldn’t find him. It didn’t look good that he was gone. 

It also didn’t look good if he did nothing. Which was why he had made a trip to the DA’s office. It was his way of informing the law and the bay, that he was actively searching for Nathan. 

He didn’t need people looking into him.

Pallas was much more than a private investigator. She could ascertain information that would baffle most. She had an internal radar, and had known what he was the second they'd met, all those years ago.

“Who is Rachel?” she said from behind him.

He turned around and saw she had Nathan’s notebook. He was about to ask where she had found it, when she pointed behind her. The locker behind the desk was open. She held open the book to him. 

Nathan had written the girl’s name over and over. She turned the page, another was filled, this one in the shape of a feather. 

The boy had carried that notebook with him everywhere. He wouldn’t have just left it here.

“He was obsessed,” she said flipping through the rest of the notebook.

“James Amber has a daughter named Rachel, he is the district attorney.” 

Turning around, he slammed his fist into his hand, “They would not be stupid enough to go for the fucking DA”s daughter. I told them, no locals.”

“That’s all that we’ll find here, “ she stated. Throwing down the book on the couch next to him, she walked out of the room.

“Are you sure?” he demanded, getting up and trailing behind her. He did not appreciate her disinterested demeanor.

She didn’t bother turning around, “Yes, someone has already cleaned up.”

As he followed her back outside, he grabbed her arm and spun her around, “Well?”

She sighed, pushing her long dark curls out of her face, “If they didn’t know the pin, that means they would have to have been brought in there. Whom did they bring in there?” She didn’t wait for him to answer, “Let’s find out if Rachel was the one that they to-“

She stopped speaking, and stared over at the tree line.

“What is it?” he inquired, squeezing her arm tighter.

She jerked it out of his grip and walked over to her motorcycle. “Nothing,” 

She drove off without another word, hair streaming behind her. He was used to this. 

He shook his head, scanning the area she had been looking at. He didn’t see anything.

He went back inside and started planning on how to get rid of all this shit.

___________________________________________________________________

Along the tree line, James Amber slowly stood back up. He could have sworn the raven-haired lady had seen him. He felt them make direct eye contact.

He’d crouched down against a tree to hide, heart beating like a drum. Waiting for the inevitable discovery, he’d frantically searched around for a weapon. Instead he had heard the woman’s bike start and speed off.

After waiting a few minutes, he carefully peeked around the tree; Sean’s car was still parked in front of the barn. If he went inside now he could surprise him. But what then? Beat him with a stick? It was tempting.

He could call the police, have them catch him there, but through experience he knew that most of them were in Prescott’s pocket. He had to play this smart.

His mind was racing as he moved through the forest back to the road. He had heard the woman’s words; she had said Rachel’s name. She was his priority. Fear tried to cloud his mind. He took out his phone and called his daughter.

She didn’t answer. 

Frustrated, he snuck back to his car. As he drove back into town, he called her again. He didn’t want to say too much on the voicemail, but he needed to warn her away. 

“Rachel, I know you are probably on your way out of Arcadia Bay by now. Please…. keep your eyes on the road. Be safe, sweetheart. I love you.” 

___________________________________________________________________

Rachel didn’t hear her phone ringing the first time. She was way too preoccupied. 

Her hands gripped the sheets, as she arched her back. She wasn’t sure how much more of Chloe’s teasing she could stand. The girl was trailing kisses from her neck down, as she ran the back of her fingernails up her thigh. Tickling her stomach with her bangs, and swirling her tongue around.

Rachel tried to show with her movements where she wanted the girl. She was starting to grow inpatient. She felt Chloe grin against her as she slowly made her way back up, lips discovering her earlobe.

She gasped as Chloe’s fingers found her, body temperature rising. She had to be careful she didn’t completely lose control. She didn’t ever want a repeat of their first time, when she had accidently burned down their little shack at the junkyard.

She ran her hand through the girl’s short blue hair as they kissed, making it stick out every which way. She concentrated on the unlit candles randomly placed around the room. They had experimented with different things, but candles seemed to work best. 

Moaning softly, she let her energy light them. Their flames flared higher as Chloe picked up speed. Rachel raised her hips as her eyes closed tight. Chloe kissed her passionately, then pushed them back down on the bed and replaced her fingers with her mouth.

The wax dripped and pooled, as the candles burned down. Rachel bit her lip to stifle the words that wanted to pour out. Chloe kept up her tempo as Rachel’s body began to shudder. The flames pulsed a white blue light and then extinguished, smoke curling up from their wicks.

Chloe grinned up at her, slowly kissing her way back up to lie down at her side. Rachel didn't wait long before rolling on top of her. She wrapped her hands around her wrists and pulled her arms above her head. She leaned down and gently sucked on Chloe’s neck. Grazing her teeth against her shoulder, she kissed her way down. She planned on teasing the hell out of her.

The second time her phone rang, she heard, but ignored it to focus on Chloe.

Afterwards, as both girls lay on their backs trying to catch their breaths, Rachel reached over and grabbed her phone. Chloe turned over to look at her as she put it up to her ear, tickling her side and making her laugh. But Rachel’s smile quickly vanished as she listened.

After she put the phone back down Chloe asked her who it was.

“My dad… he wants me to leave town.”

“Really?” She stretched out, “Hey, that means we can finally go to the cabin!”

She stood up and started putting on her clothes. Grabbing the suitcase from her closet, she opened her drawers to look for her bathing suit.

“Wait, Chloe, stop.”

Turning around, she saw the concern on her girlfriend’s face. She dropped the suitcase and went over to her, “What’s wrong?”

Rachel narrowed her eyes, “I don’t know, but something is. He wouldn’t say what he said otherwise.”

She played the voicemail for her, and Chloe admitted that he definitely seemed off. 

Rachel looked up at her, “I’ve never heard his voice sound so shaky.”

“Rach, we should leave. That is clearly what he wants us to do.” She pulled her up from the bed, kissing her softly on the nose. “Let’s go to the cabin… please?”

Rachel didn’t respond, instead she started to get dressed, defiant eyes flashing.

“Hey… answer me. We are leaving now, right?”

Rachel crossed her arms, looking at her stubbornly. “No.”

“What? Why the hell not?”

“Because,” she pointed over at her phone, “that means he’s found something out about the others. I want to know what… and I can protect myself.”

Rachel felt a deep affinity to Jefferson’s other victims; she needed to know if they were alive or dead. Just because their purses were in that drawer, didn’t mean they were necessarily dead, right? That question had been running around her mind ever since that late April morning. 

“I need to show you something Chloe.” 

She grabbed the bag that she’d thrown onto the desk chair when they had come back to Chloe’s. “Remember when I told you about how I searched the room, before I cleaned up the… leftovers?”

She sat down on the bed, and Chloe joined her.

“I looked in the purses, but there were no identification in them. They must’ve gotten rid of them, but why not the purses?” Her speech wandered off, as she looked deep in thought. “And… they had all those pictures. Binders full of them, with different names on their sides.”

She reached into the bag, “So I took one from each.” She pulled them out and handed them to Chloe.

“Jesus,” she whispered as she looked at the photos now splayed out in her hands. She flipped one of them over to look at the back. In Rachel’s handwriting was the name Alexis. She looked at another… Suzie.

“I wrote the names that were on the binders.” 

She saw that Chloe was starting to count the photos; she reached out her hand and stopped her. “There are eighteen.”

“Oh my god…” Chloe studied one after the other, flipping each of them over so she could know the name of every girl.

“You’ve… you’ve been carrying these around with you all this time?” Chloe carefully asked.

“Yes. I should’ve taken them straight to the police. But… well it’s my writing on the back. But who cares?” She started growing angry, “I should have taken the cops right to the barn, and showed them that fucking room!”

Chloe looked like she was trying not to say the wrong thing, “But… you couldn’t… “ Her voice grew in confidence, before Rachel could retort, “You said the door locked behind you, right?”

Rachel nodded, looking weary of the point Chloe was trying to make. She was judging herself ruthlessly.

“Well, if you were to show up and hand these pictures to the cops and said they were from Prescott’s barn. Well... I don’t think your word would be good enough for them to get a warrant and take on Sean Prescott. “

Chloe rubbed the back of her neck, “He owns half the town, and probably half the police force.” She leaned over, bumped her shoulder and added with a whisper, “Plus you killed them with fire from your mind.”

Rachel could see the humor in Chloe’s eyes as she wiggled her eyebrows. She couldn’t help but crack a smile. “You are right.”

“Of course I am.”

Rachel’s face grew serious again. “But we have to find them. I need to know if they are alive… or not.”

“This is horrible to ask but… in any of the photos you saw there, were any of them-“

“They were alive.” Rachel interrupted. “And they didn’t look physically hurt, just drugged. But Nathan eluded that there was more after the… photo shoots.”

Chloe stood up, walked over to her stereo and turned it on. She sat down at her computer. “Let’s start with the easiest way first.”

She cleared the stuff off her desk with a wide sweep, knocking it off nonchalantly onto the floor. Trying to be goofy to cheer Rachel up. She put all the pictures face down in front of her, so she could see all the names at once, and started searching missing person reports.

Rachel stared up at the ceiling, trying to let the music erase her guilt. After about three songs or so Chloe spoke up, “I… I found one of them.”

Rachel got up to look as Chloe pulled up a missing person report. On the screen was a picture of pretty redhead about their age. Chloe scrolled down.

“Lucy O’Shea,” she read off. “Age eighteen, missing since January 31st, 2013. Last seen in Portland, told her parents she was going to visit friends in Salem. Friends said she never-”

Rachel stopped listening. She started to think about how she should’ve done something more. It’d been almost two months, and what… she was just enjoying the summer weather? Fucking her girlfriend? And in the meanwhile… were all the girls missing? Dead or god forbid trapped somewhere? She should have made Nathan tell her more. Why had she killed him so quickly? And why had Nathan’s eyes changed? It was like he hadn't been afraid of her for a second, because he was terrified of someone else. Her shame overwhelmed her. She should of done more to find them.

She didn’t see Chloe in front of her, until the girl grabbed her hands, “Rachel look at me.“

Their eyes met but Rachel looked away as she saw the candles flaring, starting another wave of self-reproach.

So Chloe grabbed her face and pulled her close. “Breathe. Rachel. Look at my eyes. I’m here. Just breathe.”

Rachel focused on Chloe. Mimicking the deep breaths the girl was taking, trying to match them.

“There you go, deeps breaths.” Chloe said with a smile. “Listen to the music, you love this song.”

She hugged Rachel close, glancing around to make sure the candles were out.

Rachel rested her head on her shoulder and gave out an unsteady chuckle as she shakily sang the lyrics of the song playing, “Will you stay with my love, for another day… Cause I don’t want to be alone, when I’m in this state.”

Chloe answered with a laugh singing the rest, “Will you stay with me my love, ‘til we’re old and grey…cause, I don’t want to be alone, when these bones decay.”

She spun the girl around, and they danced together as the beat picked back up.

___________________________________________________________________

Rachel fell asleep early, but Chloe stayed up searching. She found fifteen of the eighteen girls. All of them reported missing. She thought maybe the other three were out of state, or maybe not reported. She wanted to keep looking but was having trouble keeping her eyes open.

She crawled into bed, wrapping herself around Rachel to warm up. She was worried she would have trouble falling asleep, but it didn’t take long for her to drift off.

In her dream she was in the Blackwell pool, floating on her back. She started to swim to the side, looking around for her father. But the edges were all dark. She couldn’t see him anywhere. She couldn’t feel him either, and it dawned on her that she could in the other dreams.

She felt something though. A swirling of various personalities reaching out to her.

Suddenly she realized she was surrounded. A light shined from above, revealing all their faces. It was the girls from the photos. All eighteen of them, swimming around her. 

She gripped the side of the pool to stay above the surface, adrenaline spiking.

She tried to calm her heart to speak, her voice hushed as she asked, “Are… are you all dead?”

One of them tried to answer, Chloe thought her name was Beverly, but the girl couldn’t speak. Instead water bubbled out of her mouth. She tried to reach out, but something pulled her under the surface. 

Chloe watched in horror as a looming shadow pulled each girl under. But not before they all desperately tried to talk to her, the water choking out all their words.

After the last girl disappeared below the surface, Chloe felt an overpowering fear as the water around her turned black. The light above went out. She tried to out swim the darkness beneath her, but it enveloped her senses as she was yanked below into the depths.

She awoke gasping for breath and holding her throat, Rachel already awake beside her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chloe curled her legs against her stomach and put her head in her girlfriend’s lap. Rachel was sitting up, her back against the 'I can’t sleep' graffiti on the wall. One of her hands began absently playing with Chloe’s hair while the other ran comfortably up and down her side. She let herself be calmed in the soothing silence.

Without any prodding, she slowly started to tell her about the dream. She wanted to shield her from it, but knew how much Rachel valued honesty. So she left out no details.

In the end, her girl came to the same conclusion that she had. “So they’re all gone…” 

Chloe hesitated but felt compelled to say, “Or it was just a dream-”

“We both know you don’t believe that, so stop pretending,” Rachel stated. “Seeing you thrash about like that… I was shaking you… and practically screaming your name. I’m surprised your Mom didn’t come in here.”

Chloe smirked but was too exhausted to make a joke.

Rachel continued, “You wouldn’t wake up... no matter what I did. I even tried to open your eyes, but they… Chloe, they looked like stormy seas…” She shook her head, “It was like you were trapped, and I couldn’t reach you. Whatever had you wasn’t going to let go until it had its say.”

Chloe digested all of this. Further confirmation of what she already felt was true. She’d always wondered what her body was doing when her mind took off through the backdoor.

“It was the girls. I felt them… all of them. Their likes and dislikes, their hopes… “ She paused, her voice sounding gravelly, “and their crushing disappointment over not being able to fulfill any of them.”

Rachel stroked her arm, not saying anything, letting her get it out.

Chloe started to break, “And… the fear. Oh god… I felt the fear from their final moments.” She wiped her eyes, “I think they were trying to warn me, but they couldn’t get anything out.” She shivered in Rachel’s arms, “ And that cold terrible darkness below…”

They sat that way for a while, Rachel comforting her. The dream running through both their minds. Chloe slowly started to doze off.

She felt Rachel ease her head out of her lap and onto a pillow. Then she got up and grabbed the photos off the desk. She stared at each one solemnly as Chloe watched silently from the bed, missing the warmth of her embrace.

The blonde looked over at the printer and grabbed the sheets on top.

“How many did you find?” she asked, when she saw that Chloe’s eyes were open.

“Fifteen so far, from all over Oregon.”

She sat down on the ground laying the reports out at her feet. And started to order them all by the date reported missing.

Chloe knew better than to suggest they go back to sleep. Even though she felt her body craving it. She kept closing her eyes and opening them back up. Shaking her head to clear the tired away.

After the third time, Rachel noticed. She smiled up at her from the floor. “It’s okay babe, go to sleep. I’m just going to stay up for a bit longer.”

Yawning widely, Chloe tiredly muttered, “I’m scared I will go back into that pool…” 

But her eyes drooped down anyway, and soon she slipped into the peaceful nothingness. Her last view was of Rachel determinedly grabbing the laptop off the desk.

She woke up in the same position she had fallen asleep in. Stretching out, she squinted against the sunlight peeking through the window. As she glanced over, her yawn turned into a smile at the sight in front of her.

A spiral of pages surrounded Rachel on the floor. She was passed out in the center, breathing peacefully. She watched the blonde’s chest rising and falling, and the relaxing rhythm made her eyes begin to close again. But then she heard David coming up the stairs with his big heavy tread and they popped back open.

It would not be good if he came in here right now. He was paranoid in normal situations, imagine what he would be like if he saw this. Rachel curled up, encircled by a plethora of missing girl posters. 

And she had no idea how to explain it without divulging way too much. He was so suspicious; there’d be no way of getting him to let it go.

So she reluctantly got up to intercept, once again wishing that they could get their own place. She felt a nostalgic ache for their poor burned down shack. Even if what had preceded the fire had been lots of fun, she still missed it. Though, she thought wistfully, they were probably too old now to be hanging out in junkyards. She smirked to herself; can someone ever be too old for that?

Carefully passing over Rachel, and trying not to mess up her beautiful mind collage, she left her room. Quietly, she shut the door behind her. David was coming back down the hall when she turned around.

She moved in front of him towards the stairs, knowing he would follow her back down. He seemed to love to hassle her in the morning. And she wanted him far away from her room. Rachel didn’t need his booming voice waking her up.

“What, no good morning?” he asked, trailing behind her.

Instead of saying anything she just waved over her shoulder, and made her way down to the kitchen. Her mom was in there drinking the last of her coffee, and getting ready to leave.

“Good Morning, Mom,” Chloe said brightly as she saw her. 

Joyce smiled at her as she put her coffee down and grabbed her keys, “Morning, Chloe.” 

“Oh, so she gets a good morning?” David asked gruffly from the doorway.

Chloe was about to come back with a sassy retort, when Joyce interrupted, “Don’t start you two.” She turned towards her daughter, “I am late for work, but we will talk later okay? We need to run something by-

“We need you to start paying rent.” David interrupted.

Joyce looked frustrated, “Goddamit David, I said we were going to talk about it later. I can’t have this conversation right now.” 

“It’s fine, I’m sure Chloe understands,” he said crossing his arms, “Right, Chloe?”

He didn’t let her answer, “I have a job, you have a job, your mom has a job… and we should all contribute.”

Chloe did understand, and had given her mother money in the past. Though, she reflected, it had been a while. But she hated the look on the step-douche’s face.

“Babysitting Blackwell brats not cutting it anymore?” she said with smirk.

Joyce shook her head, and just left without another word. She knew there was no point in trying to stop them.

He pointed upstairs. “Hey, who has a Blackwell brat in their bedroom right now?” he shot back at her, “Another person who should be paying rent.”

“Leave Rachel out of it,” she said, and then went back on the offensive. “What do you even do on the campus in the summer? Play cops and robbers with the squirrels?”

“I protect assets,” he said defensively. “The buildings themselves as well as the kids who don’t want to go home to their miserable parents.”

“I can relate to that,“ she muttered under her breath as he continued.

“Hell, just a couple nights ago one of them got wasted and tried to break into the pool, could’ve drowned themselves. If you knew-“

Chloe held up her hand, the fight going out of her. At the mention of the pool, her dream came back to her. She thought about how ridiculous she was being, provoking his pride.

“Listen David, I will give you some cash. Or even better… Rachel and I will get a place and get out of here.”

“Good. That’s all I wanted to hear.”

He grabbed his security hat, and stuck in on his head. Then checked his pockets, and jiggled his keys to make sure they were there. He looked like he was about to leave, when he turned around, his detective demeanor back.

“I thought you two were going to leave Arcadia Bay this summer anyway?” 

“Yeah… well… plans change, don’t they? I thought my mom was just going to have a fling, and she ended up married to a fucking security guard.”

She just couldn’t help herself. He grunted some obscenities under his breath and left the house. She relaxed in the kitchen that she now had all to herself.

She thought about making Rachel some food and bringing it up to her. But she should let her sleep. She could predict the mood she’d be in when she awoke. She wouldn’t want breakfast. She was going to want to take action. Now that they knew the other girls hadn’t just woken up in their beds the next morning with a GHB hangover. 

They were dead. 

She knew these dreams weren’t normal, but this brought it to a new level of creepy. Communicating with a batch of murdered girls.

Because they were murdered, that much of her dream she could decipher. She could play it in her mind now. Right down to the bitter nothingness that surrounded her at the end. It was seared into her brain. No need to write it down. 

It had felt emotionless, heartless. A cold restless killing machine, that only felt alive when it took a life. The girls must have sensed that and passed it on to her. God… what had Jefferson and Nathan done with to them? Was either of them capable of that kind of merciless mentality? 

She didn’t think Nathan was. He had seemed so fragile, bursting with hostility and despair. Definitely not empty. Jefferson though… Rachel said he was really narcissistic. She would have to ask what she thought. If he was capable of turning everything off like that. Or maybe off was his natural state…

Trying to rid herself the residue of the dream, she pushed that empty essence away from her. She poured some coffee for them both, thinking she might as well get the girl up. She didn’t want to be alone with her thoughts anymore. She was starting on her way back upstairs when she heard a soft knock at the door.

___________________________________________________________________

 

The first time that Max had knocked an angry man with a mustache dressed as a security guard answered the door.

He rudely looked her up and down, “Who are you?” 

Tentatively, she asked, “Is Chloe here?” 

“Yes,” he answered bitterly. “I will ask again… who are you?”

“Who are you?” she returned, getting annoyed by his attitude.

“Listen girl, this is my house. If you don’t know that, I am not sure why you are here. But let’s find out, shall we?” 

He opened the door wide behind him and shouted for Chloe. Then crossed his arms and glared at her.

“Fuck this,” Max muttered and rewound. 

She didn’t want to see her best friend for the first time in five years with this furious asshole watching. He would just make everything worse. She had a feeling Chloe might be worked up enough without him provoking her further. He must be her step-dad. Poor Chloe.

She let her left hand drop after she’d gone back to before she had knocked. She walked across the street and loitered around. After a few minutes, she saw him stride out in a huff, slamming the door behind him. She made sure he had driven off before she went back over and knocked again.

She shifted nervously as she waited. Slowly the door opened. A stunning girl with stylish hair that matched the color of her bright blue eyes answered. Max froze time before she even knew what she was doing.

Chloe had grown up a lot. She had on pajama shorts and a white tank top, showing off a beautiful sleeve of vines, flowers, and butterflies enveloped around a skull. A necklace of shell casings hung around her neck. It all suited her greatly. She was dazzling. Max took it all in, trying to contain her emotions. She let go of time. 

Chloe’s mouth dropped open when she saw who was in front of her.

“Max?”

“Hey Capt’n Chloe…”

They stood a few feet apart staring at each other. Chloe opened the door wider, and stepped out, gripping onto the doorframe. She put the back of her hand to her mouth, and choked back tears. 

Max felt her own dripping down her face. She let them fall.

“Chloe… I’m so sorry…” she struggled to get the words out, overwhelmed, “...that it’s taken me this long.”

She dropped her head, and was about to say more when strong arms wrapped themselves around her. She was lifted up off the ground in a big embrace.

“Max!” Chloe said again, jubilantly, as she spun her around.

Max couldn’t help but laugh as she fiercely hugged her friend back, “It’s so fucking good to see you!”

Chloe set her back down onto the walkway, moving her hands up to her shoulders. “Let me get a look at you.” She studied her, “Wow, you’ve grown up! You’re breathtaking!” She tickled her nose, “Still shorter than me though,” she teased.

“You have as well,” Max responded with a slight blush. “I really like the hair.”

Chloe ran her hand through her azure locks, “Awh thanks, yeah, I like it too.” She hesitated like she was debating something as she glanced into the house, then said, “Come on in, will you?”

Max nodded and followed her inside. It looked exactly the same as she remembered. Minus a few little differences here and there.

“So who was that guy in the security uniform?” she asked, walking behind her friend.

“Oh, you saw him huh? That’s the step-douche, “ Chloe said with a grimace. “My mom married him a couple years ago."

“Seems like an asshole.”

Chloe laughed, “You have no idea.” Then added thoughtfully, “But I guess he could be a lot worse… There are some really shitty people out there...”

“That there are,” Max responded idly. She was looking around the living room, getting déjà vu. She stood in front of the sliding glass doors, staring out into the backyard. Memories washing over her. 

“He’s just… he’s the total opposite of my Dad... I don’t know what my mom even sees in him.” Chloe said quietly from the kitchen. She was sitting dejectedly by the counter, both hands around her coffee. 

Max walked over to her, “Maybe it would just hurt too much to see reminders of William in another man.”

She glanced around the kitchen, thinking about the last time she’d been in here. She had come over to say goodbye when the moving truck was almost filled. So soon since after William’s funeral, they were forced to separate… What had her parents been thinking? A part of her would always hold that against them.

When she looked back at Chloe, she noticed the girl was staring at her. She changed the subject. “Hey, is that coffee for me?” she asked, pointing to the other mug on the counter.

Chloe glanced towards the stairs, than back to the cup. She handed it out to her, “Yes… here you go.”

They sat and talked for a while. Max filled her in on her life in Seattle. Her photography. Chloe did most of the question asking, and Max obliged, but every so often she saw the girl’s eyes would look back towards the stairs. But Max continued to answer. She really wanted to blurt out that she had magic time powers. Blow the punk’s mind. She was dancing around the subject. But Chloe seemed distracted. Like she was trying to listen but kept getting pulled away by her thoughts.

When she looked upstairs again, Max had to ask, “Got someone in your bedroom?”

Chloe laughed, “Yeah… my girlfriend, she’s asleep still. I’d go wake her up so you could meet her, but…” she hesitated, “she stayed up pretty late last night, best to-”

Max stopped her, “Is her name Rachel?”

“What, yes, how do you know that? Been stalking me on Facebook?” she teased.

“Only a little bit,” she joked, pausing. Max didn’t really use social media except for photography sites, so she actually hadn’t put that together until now. “Okay, Chloe, so I want to show you something… showing will be easier than telling.”

“Sure… what’s up?” she replied, looking less preoccupied.

Max quickly thought up an idea, “I bet I can tell you what your room looks like, without leaving this seat.”

Chloe looked taken aback, “Okay, weirdo, have a guess.”

Max froze time, wishing she had thought of a different way to phrase that. But whatever. She went up the stairs and opened Chloe’s bedroom door. It actually looked a lot like she imagined except for one notable difference.

On the floor, sleeping peacefully, was an exceptionally beautiful girl. Her long blonde hair cascading down her shoulder. She was surrounded by a punch of computer paper, laid out in an entrancing spiral pattern. When Max looked closer, she noticed all of them had the word 'missing' at the top. There were different girls on each one.

Max stepped backwards. She was in the presence of an amazing photo. But she didn’t want to undervalue Rachel’s privacy in such a vulnerable state before she had even met the girl. And her head was starting to ache. She did a quick glance around Chloe’s room memorizing a few details. But her eyes kept coming back to the startling beauty before her. She took a mental snapshot, shut the door, and went back downstairs.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Chloe was taking a sip of her coffee when she noticed Max shift in her seat. The girl’s eyes had gone wide, she looked a little dumbfounded. Eyes meeting Chloe’s, she smiled.

“Wow... Rachel is… gorgeous.” 

Chloe was about to give a sassy response when Max kept speaking. 

“And you have an American flag as a curtain over your window. Above your bed is ‘I can’t sleep’ and ‘just gotta let go’ written in permanent marker. Next to that is our height chart… that you’ve scratched out,” she added, sounding a little hurt.

“And Rachel is asleep on the floor surrounded by a bunch of missing persons reports of-“ she seemed to be trying to remember, “seventeen girls.”

“What the fuck...?” She stared at her friend, mouth open, not knowing what else to say beyond that. 

And then Max shocked her even more by shifting around the house. At one moment she was seated at the counter, then she was by the fireplace, and the next second she was behind her saying, “Boo!”

Chloe shot up and turned around. “Jesus Christ!”

Max laughed and sat back down at her seat. “So… some weird shit started this summer…”

Chloe sat back and listened to her friend describe what had actually been happening in her life. The other stuff was just window dressing. She laughed out loud when Max told her about coming out of her shell by messing with people and then rewinding time. But she could hear another side in there too. She sounded lonely. Especially when she talked about her parents, in a solemn detached manner.

Chloe let her finish telling her about the long Greyhound ride, then said, “Well. There sure is a lot of supernatural shit going on.”

Max seemed hesitant but curious, “What do you mean? Is this about the missing persons?”

Chloe sighed, rubbing her neck. “Yes… and let me go wake her up… I think it’s time you met Rachel.”

Just after she said her name she heard the floor creak, she turned around see her girlfriend standing there yawning.

“Sorry,” she said unabashed, “I might have been listening on the stairs…didn’t want to interrupt...” She gave a sleepy grin to them both, “Plus it was super fascinating.”

Max gave her a shy smile, “No… no problem at all.” She stood up to extend her hand to the girl, “Hi, I’m Max.”

An amused Rachel took her hand and started to pull her in for a friendly hug. “It’s so nice to meet you. Feel like I already know you from all of Chloe’s stori-” She stopped.

Chloe saw both their eyes widen when their skin touched. They slowly pulled away from each other, body language questioning. Max put out her hand again, this time palm up. Rachel ran her fingers gradually down it.

“What are you guys doing?” Chloe asked in surprise. But then she saw a weird glittering light reflecting off of where they were joined.

Rachel pulled away. Max looked up, trying to read her, “Can you feel that?”

“Yes…” She seemed caught of guard, a state Chloe rarely saw her in.

Max stuck her hand into their coin jar and grabbed out a handful. She reached out to Rachel with the other and asked, “Can I try something?”

Rachel nodded hesitantly. She took Max’s extended hand, inhaling sharply as they touched. Her eyes started to change in color, and she held on tighter trying to compose herself. “Holy shit…”

Max tossed the coins towards the living room, throwing out her left hand after them. They all froze in place, floating stationary a foot or so off the floor. Slowly they moved back towards Max following their original trajectory. She flipped one high into the air, freezing it so it spun up and down through the space before her. 

“Wow… I’ve never been able to concentrate on one thing before. It’s like I can trace a single area… or object… or god, I don’t know how to describe it.”

Chloe had seen Max’s display, and was astounded, but she was focused on Rachel. She too had watched the coin toss, but wasn’t able to react. A yellow flare danced around the edge of her pupils, blocking out the greenish blue. She held up the hand that wasn’t gripping Max’s tightly.

A white blue flame licked around her fingers. She turned her palm over and it danced to the other side. Max let the coins fall as she turned to watch her. 

Rachel smiled over at Chloe, “It’s like the other times… but I have control.” She let the flame grow, looking enthralled. “God, it feels incredible.”

She let the white blue light bloom into shape. It stretched itself out rising in size. It became a skinny pillar that branched out, slowly forming into a tree. Buds developed and grew into leaves. Rachel giggled like a child, and lightly blew into the branches. The leaves rustled through the air, catching onto each other and growing more trees. Until they were surrounded by a tiny glowing forest of light. 

The three girls stood speechless, as the temperature rose around them. Eyes reflecting as they watched the trees flickering in the air. Slowly Rachel began to extinguish them. They winked out until there was only one left. It began to fade away, turning back into a single blue flare. 

When Max raised her left hand again.

The small flame froze in place, hovering in Rachel’s palm. It shot out sparks that bounced off an invisible barrier, arching into a sphere. They continued to bend around, until it turned into a perfect orb of radiant light. It grew brighter and brighter, as they squinted there eyes to look at it. The whole kitchen was flooded a luminous white. Chloe put her hand up to try to block her view.

Abruptly, the light went out. The kitchen seemed dark in its absence. Chloe let her eyes adjust, and glanced over at the two girls. They had moved apart. Max had her back to the sink, gripping it for support. Rachel was bent over with her hands on her knees. She was looking up at Max with a kind of wonder, and the brunette returned it, thunderstruck.

Marveling at the two of them, Chloe cleared her throat and joked, “Well, I can’t help but feel a little left out.”

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel was back upstairs, gathering up the papers. Her body was still humming with residual energy. It felt like Max had charged her like a battery. She felt high. She wondered if the girl felt the same.

She looked over at her and Chloe’s phones, together on the bedside. They both had missed calls. Shit. She had forgotten to call her Dad back. She picked it up and dialed him. It barely even rang before he answered.

“Rachel, thank god, are you okay?”

“Yes, Dad, fine. Sorry, I forgot to call you back.”

“You have to answer your phone,” he sounded stressed. “Why didn’t Chloe answer? She always answers. Did you not have service out there?”

“We didn’t leave.”

“What? Where are you?”

“Chloe’s.”

She heard a voice in the background, and then her dad relaying what she had said.

“Who are you talking to?” Rachel asked.

“Sera,” he replied curtly.

She was very surprised to hear that they were together. The tension around them when she was there was pretty uncomfortable, but it must be even worse when they were alone. She wondered how her mother would feel about them spending one on one time. Not that she seemed too crazy about her dad these days. Rose was very nice and had put up with her father’s shit for years, but she seemed to nearing the end of her rope.

“Oh…well... “

Her father interrupted before she could figure out what to say. “Why didn’t you leave like I asked? It is for your safety.”

She huffed, reminding him that she could take care of herself. She then took a deep breath and began to relay all the information they had researched since yesterday. She heard her father put her on speakerphone as she told him about the photos and the names. When she looked up she saw that Max was standing hesitantly by the door. Chloe slowly moved past her and flopped down on the bed. They both turned to listen. Good. She wouldn’t have to tell it all again. 

“We found seventeen out of eighteen. Going back to 2002. About one every year, until we get to fall 2011.” She shuffled the papers to the back where she had taken some notes, “Then it really picks up; Carol-Ann Williams on September 2011, and then in 2012 there’s four of them.”

Her father was trying to speak but she couldn’t stop, she kept reading out.

“Lynn Dubois missing January 2012, Marissa Phillips on June 2012.”

“Rachel-”

“Cassidi Cairo disappeared September 2012, Alexis Collins gone since November 2012.”

“Rachel, listen-”

“Lucy O Shea left for her friends January 2013, never seen again. Kelly Gramm vanished March 2013.” 

“Sweetheart, please-“

“Could’ve easily added… Rachel Amber gone forever April 2013.”

She heard a muffled sound, and then Sera’s voice came through loud and clear. She had taken it off speaker.

“Hey. Listen to me. We are tailing Sean Prescott right now.”

She could hear her father’s angry dissension in the background. Sera shushed him and continued. 

“We need you to stay close to Chloe. Please don’t go anywhere alone. If you don’t want to leave town… I understand. But we are handling this right now. And we can’t do that if we are worrying about your safety.”

“Okay… I get it. Do you think he is involved?”

“Yes.” But she didn’t say anything more.

She heard her father mutter, “Quick get down, he’s coming out.”

Sera hastily whispered a quick goodbye and the line went dead.

Rachel threw the phone down, and shared a dark knowing look with Chloe. The other two girls had been listening meticulously to the conversation. Max picked up the papers, and was going through them reading the notes.

She glanced up from them asking, “So what does Sean Prescott have to do with this?”

Chloe patted down on the bed next to her. “Sit down, Mad Max, we have a lot to fill you in on.”

___________________________________________________________________

 

Sera and James were scrunched down in the front seats of his car. They exchanged a look of concern over Rachel, but stayed quiet. Sera slowly edged up, peeking out the window.

“Watch it…” James warned.

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered dismissively. “He’s getting back into his car, get ready to follow.” They waited a bit longer, “Okay, he went left… let’s go.”

James started the car back up, turning left at the street. He stretched his neck back and forth, until it cracked.

“Ugh… so your still doing that then?” 

He sighed heavily, shifting gears, eyes pierced on the road. Sera too was focused on the black sedan several cars in front of them. They had been watching Sean since last night, when they’d parked outside of his house, dozing in between making sure he was still there. They were both tired and sick of being stuck in the car with each other.

They drove in silence for a while, heading through Arcadia Bay.

“He’s not going to his office.” James said, as they turned onto the highway. He glanced at the clock, yawning.

“Tell me again what you heard them say.” Sera asked, more to keep them awake than anything.

“Sean was gripping the woman’s arm, and she said something about finding Rachel. Then it looked like she saw me, but… now I’m not so sure.”

“What did she look like?”

“She had long curly dark hair. Attractive. She looked about our age, maybe a bit younger, hard to tell… Oh and she drove her motorcycle without a helmet.”

Sera considered this, and then asked, “Did Sean mention that the private eye he hired was a woman?”

“No… and since I was trying to seem like I didn’t know more than I should, I ended the conversation as quickly as possible.” When Sera didn’t respond, he slumped his shoulders and added, “I should have tried to ask him more, I guess.”

She saw he was beating himself up needlessly. “You could’ve drawn attention to yourself, it’s good you played it safe. We don’t know exactly what he is capable of yet.”

“Well we know he’s been to the dark room, with a mysterious woman. And it seems they are aware Rachel has been there too. She must’ve missed something; maybe there were other cameras…” he drifted off.

She could tell he didn’t like thinking about Rachel in there alone anymore than she did. She put a reassuring hand over his, “Hey, she’s resilient. She got that from me,” she smiled, adding, “Plus she’s clever... She got that from you.”

His expression softened as he met her eyes. She pulled her hand away, retreating from that look. He sighed again, putting both of his hands back on the wheel. The ocean receded behind them, as they drove through the afternoon. The highway began to climb in elevation.

Sera watched the trees shooting by, the sun glinting through them. “Machine gun rays…” she mumbled.

James let out a sad laugh. That was a phrase they had made up the day they had fled their hometown. Starting their future in the big city, excitement buzzing through them. Their lives finally about to begin. Sera couldn’t help but feel a little bitter when she thought about those foolish teenage hopes.

She turned back towards James and stated bluntly, “Let’s talk about what happened. It’s been three years, and we still haven’t addressed it. I think you owe me that.”

He grimaced a bit, but nodded in agreement.

“Okay,” she started, “Well let’s begin with how when I came back to town, you kissed me… shut me out, and then hired a goon to drug me.”

“I… I wasn’t thinking straight. I was…” he struggled to find the right word, “scared.”

“Jesus, I had been clean for over a year! I hadn't taken a goddamn cent from you in that time. All I wanted was to see my daughter. What the hell were you so scared of? You said Rachel was already displaying similar… gifts. Was it really so bad for me to see her?”

“I wasn’t scared for Rachel.”

She looked over at him, tolerantly waiting for him to explain.

“When I saw you again, that day in the park… I had buried all my feelings for years, and then you were there… in front of me… and they all came rushing back. God… Sera you… you are so beautiful, and it had been so long… I couldn’t help it.” He paused, “But then, I tried to push all those feelings back down. But they wouldn’t go… and I knew they couldn’t if you were around. And I just wanted to turn them off again.”

He ran his hand through his hair anxiously, “But then I told Rachel the truth about you, making it more real. And that dinner was such a disaster… oh man…I’m still grateful that Chloe was there for her. Because lord knows I wasn’t…”

His hands tightened on the wheel. “I just wanted things to go back… to when I didn’t feel like a gaping wound. So I acted impulsively on the first idea I had.” Turning to make eye contact with her he spoke sincerely, “I am so sorry, Sera.”

Feeling a weight lift, she said, “Thank you, James, for finally saying that.”

“I should have said it sooner.” He hesitated before murmuring softly, “I should have never left.”

She turned away from that, from him, feeling her own wound opening. She held back tears that wanted to fall; she didn’t want to cry in front of him. He seemed to sense this, because he faced back towards the road. Sean’s car was several ahead, still in sight. He was a speeder. James had to keep passing people to keep up.

When she had collected herself she quietly asked, “What about Rose?”

His shoulders slumped again. “She’s a good woman, and a wonderful mother to Rachel. She… she needed a mother, and I needed help raising her. But… I never loved her. I’d suppressed all those feelings long before I met her.” He hung his head, “That sounds horrible out loud…”

“Does she know?”

“Yes,” he laughed bitterly. “She is well aware…”

This was edging on something that was no longer her business, so she didn’t ask any more questions. She went back to staring out the window, trying not to think about the past.

The afternoon had turned into early evening when they saw Sean’s car pull off at an exit. They turned after him, easing even farther behind so he wouldn’t see them following. 

“Isn’t this near where your family cabin is?”

Brows furrowed he replied, “Ours is closer to the lake, but yeah. I don’t believe in coincidences. Why would he come here?”

“Well, it sure is the middle of fucking nowhere.”

“I wish I had a gun or something... This doesn’t feel right.” He shifted in his seat, “And… goddam I really have to fucking pee!”

Sera tried not to laugh at his discomfort, she really did. But the long car ride, the possible danger ahead, and the look on his face combined into something hilarious. She threw her head back and let it out.

James smiled over at her. “Well… my pain is worth it, just to hear you laugh.”

She didn’t know what to say to that, but she was saved the response. She pointed ahead, “Look he’s turning on that dirt road.” 

It was now dusk, but James kept the lights off as he turned down the forest road. Far ahead, they saw Sean’s car turn into a drive. James pulled over and shut off the car.

“Okay, now we know where he is.”

“We can’t see him from here though.”

“I say we check it out on foot. Carefully…”

He climbed out of the car, and quietly shut the door. Sera did the same, stretching out her back. They were in the middle of thick pines, with the night growing darker.

James started walking in the opposite direction of Sean, into the trees. “I just need to go real quick,” he whispered. “Stay right there.”

She agreed, and then squinted out, looking down the road. She leaned against the hood of the car, as she waited for him. When she heard footsteps approaching from behind she turned around. The phrase, that was quick, dying on her lips.

Standing in front of her was a woman with dark curly hair, but that wasn’t what she recognized. She saw the face of the woman who had saved her from herself.

“Pallas…?”

Her hair was different, but the eyes were the same. Sera turned to look for James. She saw him running back to her through the trees, concern covering his features. She felt a sharp jab in her neck, and heard a soft whisper in her ear.

“Sorry about this Sera…”


	6. Chapter 6

Max was a little delirious. She hadn't received this much attention since… well she didn’t know when. Rachel’s energy was intoxicating. And Chloe… was Chloe. She had been nervous about seeing her again, but they fell right back into it. She couldn’t believe it had been five years, and was glad she had left Seattle when she did.

She told them both what had happened when she had come home from her last day of school. About the prelude to her powers; the blackout and the letter from herself. 

“So you had no idea who I was at that point, but it said we were both in danger?” Rachel asked, looking worryingly over at her girlfriend. She seemed more concerned for Chloe’s safety than her own. 

“Yes, and that I should ‘go back now.’ I was going to come back in the fall, to see you, Chloe… and for Blackwell. Even if Mark Jefferson isn’t teaching there anymore, but-“

“What do you know about Mark Jefferson?” Chloe demanded suddenly. 

“Just his photography, it’s pretty awesome-“ Max stopped when she noted the revulsion on their faces. “What… what is it?”

They both began to tell her what had happened. Chloe taking the lead, with Rachel quietly filling in the gaps. When they got to the dark room, she could sense hesitation in their voices. Rachel hung her head, and woefully told her about the fate of Jefferson and Nathan Prescott. With shameful eyes, she looked up, apprehensively awaiting Max’s reaction.

“So you’ve… you’ve killed with your powers too…”

They both looked over at her with shocked expressions, waiting for her to say more.

“I… I took it back. It was a total accident,” Max quickly explained. “But still it… it happened, and… now I have the memory of it.”

“What happened?” Rachel asked with a barely subdued interest.

Max swallowed hard, “There was this old lady on the sidewalk, getting mugged by this guy. They were wrestling with her purse, and he was getting rough with her. I… I didn’t think. I just froze time and pushed him away from her… “ 

She tucked her legs underneath her and continued. “When I started time up again, he was in the street. This truck… came bearing down…" She said, putting her hand to her forehead, “God it just obliterated him… I swear I didn’t see it coming.”

“Then when I rewound, I had to watch the whole thing in reverse.” She sighed, “Just as fucking brutal… I went back way farther, to before he even started hassling her. Instead, I just walked with her down the street, keeping her company. He passed right by us without a second glance.”

She leaned over to Rachel, “So I get it… that guilt-filled culpability you are feeling. But in your case, it sounds like you made the right call. Even if you didn’t have much choice in the matter.” She reached out to comfort her, patting her hand. Glittering sparks reflected off their touch. Max pulled away, “Shit… sorry, I forgot.”

Rachel took her hand again, ignoring the light, “It’s okay, thank you for telling us.” Then her eyes started glowing. Laughing, she let go, “Damn though… don’t think I can hold on for long.” She jumped up, and then winked down at Max, looking energized.

Rachel told them what she wanted to do next as she grabbed the laptop. They both complied as Chloe filled Max in on Sean Prescott, Sera, and the rest.

When they got back to the bedroom, Max sat down on the bed. She was watching Rachel as she flitted around the room, busy putting together a map of the west coast. She’d had them bring up the board from Chloe’s backyard. The picture they had painted as kids was almost invisible now, but it made a good backdrop. Rachel was pinning the posters up with her notes, intuitively dancing to the music, as she moved around the room. 

Max was having trouble keeping her eyes off of her; she glanced over and saw that Chloe had noticed. She gave Max a wily little smirk, threw a pillow at her face, and then turned to get her girlfriend’s attention. 

“Hey, Rach? How are we supposed to explain all this if David or my mom comes in here?”

Rachel spun around to face them, “Okay. So. We will put it all together. Take a picture. And then get rid of it. Or just cover the whole thing up. It’s helping me think to get it out of my head. See it physically. There has to be some sort of pattern.” She stared at the board, tapping her foot. “They took them from all over the state, but did they bring them back here… to Arcadia Bay?”

Chloe raised her eyebrows, “Okay, so don’t take this the wrong way… but you sound totally lit. You okay?”

“Yeah! I feel fucking great!” she responded with a big smile, resuming her work.

Chloe laughed, “What you have to understand, Max, is that even though Rachel looks really cool, she is first and foremost an academic.” She blocked her mouth with her hand and jokingly whispered, “She actually did her homework…”

Rachel didn’t respond to the tease, she was too focused on marking X’s on the map with one of Chloe’s markers.

“Hey, put the cap back on, that’s my favorite one.” 

They watched her progress for a while, before Chloe spoke up, “So are we going to talk about the little light show thing you guys have going on? In the kitchen, that… that was quite the introduction.”

Max shook her head exasperated, “Wish I had a lot more answers to everything. This is all majorly uncharted territory here.” Max paused. “The last couple of weeks have been so crazy… that was just the icing on the cake.” She turned to Rachel, “Chloe told me about Sera, do you think she knows more about this kind of stuff?”

“I’m not sure… maybe? I will call her in the morning, see if we can meet up.” Rachel answered distractedly. She reached into Chloe’s drawers and grabbed some yarn, efficiently unraveling it to use on the board.

“But you don’t seem… high… the way Rachel does. How do you feel?” Chloe asked Max curiously.

“Now? I feel like I usually do.” She saw Rachel glance up from the map, looking a little disappointed. Max tried to explain, “But when I held her hand… I definitely felt something… it was like a chemical reaction. This sagacity took over my mind and body.” She paused to think of the right wording, “It amplified my time sense.”

“Time sense?”

Max decided with a chuckle, “Yeah, that’s what I am going to call it.”

“So you have to consciously activate it?” Rachel asked curiously. She sounded a little envious.

“Yes, I always have control over it. It usually makes my head hurt, sometimes I get a nosebleed. But it’s been hurting less the more I use it. Down in the kitchen, though… it felt infinite.”

Rachel nodded in agreement. She had finished the map, and the timeline was up, pictures corresponding with each flyer. “Chloe, can you come here and look at this?”

Chloe got off the bed and walked over to the board, “What’s up?”

“Okay, so I had a thought. Is this timeline the same order they went under in your dream, or- ”

“Dream?” Max interrupted.

Chloe answered sardonically, “Oh right, to recap; you have the power to control time, Rachel can summon angelic flames, and I get to dream of dead things…” 

“Oh... ” 

Chloe gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “But hey… at least I get to see my Dad. It’s nice, even just in sleep to be able to talk to him." She sighed shakily, "I felt so cut off after he died…That finality is just fucking brutal.” With a sad shrug she added quietly, looking away from Max, “And after you left…well.”

“Chloe… I should-“

She shook it off, and told Max about the dreams, particularly the most recent one. Glancing back to the board, she pointed at the one picture that didn’t have a match. Rachel had just written the girl’s name next to it. That was all they knew.

“Beverly… she was first. She tried the hardest to talk… Or maybe I just remember her the most, since she was the closest, her face is the clearest to me.” She looked at the other pictures, “But yes, they do seem to be in the same order.”

“Okay. So, they were killed in the same arrangement. So maybe it happened shortly after they went missing?” Rachel continued thinking out loud, “Mark gets them first. Does his depraved photo shoot… leaving them unharmed so far. Nathan joins him? But who does the killing…?” 

“I don’t think it was Nathan.” Chloe said quietly. “Not with his wild spectrum of emotions. It's someone who is cold, calculating... felt sociopathic.”

Rachel was pacing around the room. She appeared to be deep in thought, still subconsciously tapping with the music. Max couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s antics. Chloe was right; she does look cool, effortlessly so. She was so captivating, even when she just stood there thinking. Max shook her head and tried to pay attention to what the blonde had started saying. 

“That means Jefferson is the finisher, or Sean? Did you ever meet Nathan’s dad, Chloe? He's a real fucking asshole.”

Chloe nodded her head, “Yeah, I heard him yelling at Nathan once, before the Tempest when he bombed his lines. Seems like a real dick.”

Rachel appeared to be thinking, “We need proof. I want to know if he is a bad father, or a fucking serial killer. Him being a dick isn’t enough…” She sighed, “And I have an idea, but you aren’t going to like it.”

“Remember what Sera said though, about staying safe?”

“I am not proposing something dangerous. Well… maybe…” she said chuckling, “We need to talk to someone who was actually friends with Nathan.”

“Oh god, you don’t mean…?” Chloe said, as she rolled her eyes.

“Victoria Chase.” Rachel answered for her.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel offered to make the call. It was really the only option since Chloe brought out the worst in Victoria. Not that the girl needed much help. She could be a major bitch, but Rachel saw that some of it was a façade. She needed to figure out how to reach the Victoria underneath all that. She just wished she didn’t have to do it over the phone. It was so much easier to read people in person.

She went out outside into Chloe’s backyard, enjoying the warm summer evening. She needed some space and quiet to think. Joyce had just gotten home and was happily reuniting with Max, as Chloe blissfully bounced around them. Rachel smiled; glad that her girl was in such a good mood. She felt Max’s eyes on her through the glass, but turned away from her gaze, trying to focus.

The girl had a disarming effect on her; it left her feeling a little shaken. Max had an unassuming way about her that Rachel liked right away. She was honest and humble, and those eyes… She understood why Chloe had talked about her so much, despite the separation. 

Rachel sat down on one of the swings, rocking slowly with her feet. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, and decided on playing it casual with Victoria. She dialed the girl up and threw strategy out the window as soon as she heard her drunken answer. 

“'Ello?” Victoria slurred out.

“Victoria, hi, it’s Rachel Amber.”

“Oh… Why?” she said, “What do you want?”

“Hey girl, are you okay? You sound super wasted.”

“What’s it to you?”

Rachel shifted tactics, “Well I hope you aren’t drinking alone, not on a summer night like this. You glad to be back home?”

“First off… what the fuck, why are you calling? Second off… I am not at home. Because I decided to come back to this fuck all town, and stare at this fuckin dorm wall instead of going to Florence. Floreeence, as in Italy…”

“Wait, really? You’re in Arcadia Bay?”

“Yup. Made a promise to a boy, but he disappeared…” Rachel heard the girl stop to take a swig. “I really thought he would come back… he said he was going to come back.” Victoria sniffed, sounding more sober, “Listen, now isn’t a good time… “

“Are… are you talking about Nathan?”

Rachel didn’t here a response, just the clinking of a necklace against a bottle. So she asked, “Are you nodding?”

“Yeah...” Victoria answered miserably.

Rachel couldn’t see the Price’s or Max from her seat on the swing. She thought what Sera said about not going out alone, but then the ominous warning from Max’s letter came back to her. Maybe it was better to not bring Chloe. She was safer at home. And Victoria got all defensive around her. Plus, it would give her and Max some space to reunite.

“Hey Victoria, want some company? I could walk over?”

“Umm… sure. I guess. Yeah,” she said finally.

“Okay, I’ll see you in a bit. Save a few drinks for me.” Rachel said, and then hung up.

She went out through the gate in the fence, starting the long walk to Blackwell. As she quickly strolled the sidewalks she texted Chloe, not wanting her to freak out when she saw she was gone.

‘Going to Blackwell, don’t be mad, just going to have a talk with a drunk Victoria.’

‘She’s in A.B.? Not mad, just worried. Sneaky sneaker going out the back.’

‘No worries. I’ll text you for a ride after. Enjoy the one on one time with Max.’

She wanted to send a sly winky face with that, but knew how Chloe felt about emojis. Plus, she wasn’t exactly sure how she would take it… or how she meant it. As she walked she started to think about it. 

She was definitely drawn to Max, and not just because every time they’d touched she felt a prevailing power surge. Though that probably had a lot to do with it. She had just met the girl after all. Then she thought about Max’s bright blue cat eyes watching her, and she felt a wave of lust go through her. Uh oh. She tried to shake it off, but her imagination was in full tilt. And the only other thing she had to think about was murder and mayhem. 

The trip to Blackwell went quickly with her mind so preoccupied. Suddenly she found herself on the campus, heading towards the dorms. She saw David walking to the parking lot and gave him a quick wave. He waved back gruffly with a bare bones smile, and then turned away. He could be a jerk, but he was always pleasant to her. She thought she might intimidate him a little; she tended to have that effect on men. 

She saw Victoria was already outside, sitting on the front step of the dorm building. She had a beautiful crystal bottle next to her. She grabbed it and held it out to Rachel as she walked up.

Her arm wavering, she spoke, “Saved you a drink.” 

“Wow, what is this? Fancy bottle…” Rachel said taking it from her and looking it over.

“It’s Oval, duh… did you expect me to drink swill?” she snapped up at her.

Rachel took a sip of the vodka, it was smooth but she really didn’t notice much of a difference. She sat down next to her, trying to gauge how intoxicated the girl was. 

“Thanks for coming… “ Victoria slurred out, forgetting to put on an attitude.

Well, she must be pretty drunk, Rachel thought amusedly. She was glad she hadn't asked why she had called in the first place. “Of course, you sounded pretty upset. What are you doing here over the summer?”

Victoria looked cross, and then angrily took another drink. “Because of this…” she said throatily.

Hesitating slightly, she dug into her jeans and brought out a metal card. 

“Is that a keycard?” Rachel asked carefully.

Victoria sighed, putting it back in her pocket. “Nathan gave it to me last spring.”

Rachel tried not to get excited; she didn’t want to appear too eager. “Why?” she asked as casually as she could manage.

Victoria stared off, not responding. “His house is smaller than mine… but still a lot bigger than this place.” She spoke drunkenly, ignoring the question. 

Rachel took another swig of the bottle, and set it back down next to them, feeling a little buzzed. She grabbed a pack of cigarettes from her purse. She offered one to Victoria and then leaned in to light it for her. They sat smoking amicably, as Rachel waited for her to talk.

“Nathan understood what it was like. We didn’t have to pretend with each other.” Victoria started. “The rich parents, the expectations… the fucking pressure. God, it can be so exhausting...” She gazed out at the totem across the lawn, silently smoking.

“I understand, my dad was pretty controlling-“ Rachel tried to relate.

“No,” Victoria interrupted her, “Your dad loves you. You have no idea…” she said, angrily flicking ash from her cigarette, “…what it’s like when they don’t.”

Rachel took pause. Victoria was right, she definitely couldn’t comprehend that. She was lucky enough to now have three parents that loved her. 

Victoria continued, “My parents… ugh... My fucking mom… No,” she stopped, “I don’t even want to get into that.” 

Stamping out her cigarette she said. “But Nathan’s dad was even worse. Do you remember Nathan’s sister?”

“Yeah, Kristine right?” 

“I was there that night… when she left….” she said quietly. 

“What night?” Rachel asked carefully.

“It was a day or so after your and Chloe’s… display…. during the Tempest,” Victoria shot over at her sarcastically. “And Nathan’s fuck up…”

___________________________________________________________________

 

2010

Victoria and Nathan were hanging out in his rec room in the basement. They were sprawled out on the wrap-around leather sofas. She didn’t bring up his terrible performance at the play. And he didn’t mention her getting drugged by that delinquent Chloe Price. She knew Nathan was brewing full of angst. But asking him about it would just make him lash out, as it would her. So they watched a movie together in silence. 

All of the sudden, he jumped up from the couch, body tensed in attention. His features alert as he turned off the movie. The lack of surround sound brought a hush over the room. She sat up. A few moments later she heard the front door open, and the click of shoes on the marble entrance way. Nathan turned towards her.

“Stay down here. Keep quiet.”

With that, he left her, going up the basement stairs quietly. Nathan always acted weird when his father was around, but this was next level. She heard him muttering argumentatively with his sister in the kitchen, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. It sounded like Nathan was trying to stop her from doing something.

Victoria carefully snuck towards the bottom of the stairs. Reaching them as Nathan appeared at the top, looking worried. He put his finger to his lips, telling her to keep quiet, eyes fearful. They stood still, cautiously breathing, as they heard footsteps moving rapidly into the front hall. 

They listened as muffled voices spoke. The tone grew more and more animated on Kristine’s side. Victoria could barely even hear Sean’s responses, he was speaking so low. The argumentative murmurs escalated as she heard shoes on the floor above, their voices growing louder and clearer. Suddenly Kristine’s broke into a shout.

“Where is mom?” Kristine yelled fervently.

There was a pause, and then she heard Sean answer coldly in a voice that chilled her blood, “I've told you. She didn’t want a family anymore.”

“Bullshit!” she shouted again, “I… I know what you are… We all fucking know!“

“Oh, you do, do you?” He spoke tauntingly, “Scream at me again.”

Footsteps moved through the house, and then another pair angrily followed. Nathan looked terrified, and kept his hand braced on the banister. 

There was a crashing of china, and Kristine screamed, “I’m not fucking scared of you anymore!” 

They heard another collision, and a loud thump. Kristine kept yelling at him, but Sean was eerily silent. They heard her cry out in pain, and that was when Nathan left the top of the stairs. His footsteps joined the others, as Victoria heard him pleading with his father.

Things seemed to grow calmer. It sounded like Nathan and his sister were going upstairs. She heard Kristine weeping from far away. She was saying, “You need to leave too,” before a door shut behind them, cutting off their voices completely.

Sean’s shoes clicked evenly towards the back of the house, where his office was. Victoria waited for several minutes, debating what to do next. Feeling restless and a deep need to get out of there, she couldn’t stay still any longer. Knowing Nathan would be with his sister for a while, she decided to sneak out. 

She crept up the stairs and tiptoed through the kitchen. Before turning into the hall, she glanced towards the back of the house. Briefly she saw into Sean’s office. Behind his desk, she saw that the floor was open. She cautiously looked again, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her. There was a large gap in the wood, and what looked like stairs going down. She tried to think if the basement went that far over. She was sure it didn’t. Suddenly she saw a tuft of Sean’s hair moving up into view. She turned tail and silently ran out the front door before he could see her.

Later that night, Nathan texted her, asking to meet up. When she saw him, he was a mess. He didn’t say much, except that Kristine had left, and he was staying. He seemed reluctant to talk about his father. So she told him about her parents, and how heartless her mother was. He listened intently. It was the first time they both realized what they had in each other. A confidant. 

When she told him what she had seen in the office, he grew still. He seemed conditioned to not ever discuss it. Almost inaudibly, he told her that he was never to go in there, that his father kept a key. And that she was the only one outside the family that even new it existed. 

___________________________________________________________________

 

2013

Victoria took the keycard out again. It shined in the moonlight.

“We never talked about that room again… ” She spoke swiftly, seeming to fear her own words. “Then this spring… He came to me in a panic, and gave me this… for safekeeping he said… But that he would come back for it… that he needed it. I knew what it was right when I saw it.”

“Oh my god…” Rachel spoke softly.

Victoria looked over, slightly horrified, “I shouldn’t have told you any of that…”

Rachel shook her head, trying to reassure her. “It’s okay… you needed to tell someone.” She waited a bit before asking, “Did he ever go in there?”

The girl held her head in her hands, “I don’t know! He disappeared.” Victoria swallowed hard than said, “I think his father might have killed him.”

Rachel had no idea what to say to that. Guilt was filling up her head. She wasn’t sure she could lie to Victoria’s face about this. So she kept quiet, trying to push down her feelings.

“I know Nathan wasn’t always the best guy… he definitely made mistakes. But he… he got way worse this last year. More manic. When he gave me this,” she held up the card, “it was like he was torn in two about even showing it to me.”

Victoria took a long drink from the bottle, finishing it off. She swayed slightly and then said, “I don’t know what to do with it. I just wish he would come and take it back.”

“Why… why don’t you give it to me?”

Victoria looked over at her sharply.

“I mean, my dad is the district attorney,“ she added quickly. “He could actually do something about it.” She took a deep breath, “I mean… if you think his father… if you think Nathan is gone… ” Rachel could tell the girl was looking for a way out. “You could leave Arcadia Bay, conscious clear… My dad will know what to do.”

“I could go to Florence, like I was supposed to?” she asked drunkenly. 

Rachel nodded, smiling sympathetically. “This shouldn’t be up to you… Nathan wouldn’t want you to put yourself in danger. I know you were close, but… “

“He shouldn’t have left this with me… I just… I didn’t know what to do. Didn’t know whom I could to tell about it. But your dad, he has the right connections… ” Victoria said, talking herself into it. Rachel let her. 

Victoria stood up from the step, inebriated, and threw the bottle across the yard. It smashed against one of the benches. Rachel was glad David had been leaving when she had arrived. She stared at the glittering glass scattered in the lawn, feeling bad that Samuel would have to clean it up. And it had been such a pretty bottle…

She felt a friendly tousle of her hair, as Victoria drunkenly walked past her to the door, saying, “Goodnight, Rachel.” 

Rachel was about to try to go after her, when she saw the keycard shining on the step. She had left it for her. She picked it up, surprised by how heavy it was. 

“Goodnight, Victoria...”

___________________________________________________________________

 

Chloe noticed Rachel was gone a second before she got the girl’s text. Of course she would sneak away like that. After she finished texting her back, she nodded over to Max then gestured upstairs. Max got the message and told Joyce how good it was to see her. They both went up to Chloe’s bedroom.

“We have to go to Blackwell, Rachel’s walking there. Said she was going to meet Victoria.” Chloe said, frustrated.

“Okay, actually that works out well, since I have a dorm there now. I only stopped in to get the key and drop off my stuff. Didn’t bring much… but I haven't set it up yet.“

“Ran over here, huh?” Chloe teased.

Max laughed, “Pretty much.”

“We... we should leave soon, Rachel’s parents would kill me if anything happened.”

“Oh, are you her keeper?” Max joked. “Seems like she is pretty capable…”

Chloe shook her head, “She is. Very much so,” she smiled. “But she can be a little impulsive some times… And with everything going on… ”

“You think she would go looking for Sean without us?” Max asked uneasily.

“Oh god, I hope not.” She thought about it, “No… I don’t think so. She said she just wanted to talk to Victoria. Who isn’t a big fan of me, so it is probably better we give them some time.”

“Okay,” Max said, as she started looking through the room, at the various mementos. “It’s nice that you kept this,” she said holding up the comic book they made as kids.

Chloe watched as she headed into the corner, spotting something on the shelf by the TV. When she pulled out the tape recorder, Chloe stood up apprehensively. She didn’t even let Rachel listen to it, keeping it just for herself. But Max hit play before she could even tell her not to.

They stared at each other as Max’s voice came out of the speaker. It was the tape she had left for her when she had moved away. Chloe could have recited it from memory. She met Max’s eyes as they listened together.

"Hey... Chloe... this is Max. I guess I just wanted to leave you one more message. Because I know this was the absolute worst time for me to go. I thought maybe, if you heard my voice it could be a little bit like I was there. I don't know, maybe this was a dumb idea. I would give anything to be there with you now. It's so hard, trying to say what I'm thinking. If I could just see you... But we'll get good at it--great at it! We'll write and talk all the time." 

Max lowered here head briefly at that, then looked back up at Chloe as her voice continued. 

"And then you'll come visit and it'll be like I never left. I mean it, you don't have to worry about anything changing. You're dealing with so much other stuff. You don't deserve any of this. Chloe, listen. Even if I never--even if we're moving for good... We're always together, okay? Even when we're apart. We're still Max and Chloe. I will always, always love you. Goodbye."

Chloe saw a tear streak down Max’s face, magnifying her freckles as it fell. Chloe sat back down on the bed, breaking eye contact. Faintly, she spoke.

“I listened to that every day… for a very long time… Until it hurt too much to hear it anymore.”

Max kneeled down in front of her, “Oh, Chloe… please let me apologize, and don’t wave it off.” Max pleaded. “I meant every word on that tape. Even when we’re apart, were together…” She took her hand, “I am so sorry if I ever made you feel like that wasn’t true.”

Though it made her feel better, she had never truly thought Max had completely abandoned her. Maybe it was the tape reminding her, but she had always been stuck in her heart like a sliver. She put her other hand on Max’s and told her just that, forgiving her.

“Now, let’s not talk about it anymore... Don’t know if I can stand much more of those heartfelt eyes you are flashing my way.” Chloe kidded, pulling away. 

“Oh?” Max said laughing. Then she put on her most sincere expression, eyes shining, ”Is this too much for you?”

“Haha, very funny.” Chloe teased, “But yes. Please stop.”

Max smiled and then resumed looking around the room, at various trinkets from their past. Chloe remembered something that she had wanted to give Max. She never used it, and William would have wanted her to have it. She got up and grabbed his camera. Getting Max’s attention, she handed it to her.

“My dad would have wanted you to have this. I should have given it to you before you left, but… It can be hard letting go of his things. Little reminders that he was actually here, on this Earth.”

Max’s eyes grew large, as she took the camera from the girl. She looked it over reverently. “Thank you Chloe, so much. Are… are you sure?”

“Definitely. It’s better that it gets used, than sitting here gathering dust…” 

Chloe had never been into photography, preferring to draw. But Max… Max had always had an eye for it. It felt right to give it to her. Chloe watched as she examined it, struck again by how much she had grown into her looks. She thought she could just as easily be in front of the camera as behind it. She was about to tell her so when they were startled by a knock on the door.

“Chloe?” David boomed over the music.

She went over to the stereo, and turned it off. Great, she thought. Then looked over at the board that Rachel had created. Oh shit. She gestured towards it, and Max frantically got up grabbing the comforter of her bed. But they were too late in covering it. David came into her room without further delay.

They froze in mid concealment, alarmed. They would have looked comical to anyone else. But David barely saw them. His eyes went straight to the board.

“What the hell is this?”

___________________________________________________________________

 

Max could see where this was going, and lifted up her hand to rewind. But she didn’t want Chloe to lose the moment they just had with each other. It was sweet and genuine and Max didn’t want to take it away from her. She didn’t think she could replicate it without seeming phony. So she waited.

Chloe stuttered out some words that didn’t make sense. David called for Joyce to come upstairs. He gazed at the pictures of the missing girls. David crossed his arms as he turned to Chloe, demanding again for an answer. 

Max could see that she was floundering, and suddenly she had an idea. It worked with the shell, right? She reached over, ignoring David, and grabbed Chloe’s hand tightly. Chloe looked down at their hands, then up into Max’s eyes, questioning.

Max answered by rewinding time, she heard Chloe gasp beside her. Hands entwined, she remained by her side. Max felt a moment of triumph as they watched David back out of the room, the door closing behind him. She watched the clock near Chloe’s bed slowly roll backward, and then abruptly stop. Confused, Max looked over at her friend, and concern washed over her. 

Chloe’s pupils had disappeared. Across her eyes, various shades of grey mist were churning. Her eyebrows were raised in surprise. Suddenly they furrowed in concentration, as Chloe gripped her hand tighter.

“Chloe?!” Max yelled, trying to take her hand away. 

“Don’t let go,” she calmly responded, pulling her closer.

Max didn’t, instead she cautiously asked, “What… what do you see?”

“Me… I am pacing around the room… I look a little crazy… or extremely distraught.” She told her, head turning to follow something Max couldn’t see.

“My room, looks the same… but… messier. I’m smoking and the ashtray is filled to the brim. I… I look like I’ve been crying. Oh… there I go, I am crying now. Jeeze that’s embarrassing… ” She leaned down, still holding onto Max, and mimed picking something up. “I can’t get hold of it… “

Chloe started to walk across the room. “Follow me,” she said, pulling Max over to the desk. “What the fuck….?” She said looking down at something by the printer.

“What… what is it?” Max asked, apprehensive.

“…There is a stack of flyers.” Chloe leaned down, “It’s Rachel… it says she’s been missing since April 22nd… “ She let out panicked breaths, as she looked across the room, “Oh god, what is all this?” 

Chloe let go, falling backwards. 

Max caught her. Gently, she put her hand on her cheek, so she could look into the girl’s face. She watched as the mists receded, and her eyes slowly cleared. She was relieved as they returned to their natural blue. Chloe blinked, and stared around the room. Max threw her arms around her, and hugged her tightly.

“Chloe, I am so sorry, I shouldn’t have done that… There wasn’t time to warn you, and… I didn’t want you to lose your memory.”

Chloe hugged her back, and then pulled away to look over at the clock. It was functioning normally, ten minutes before David would come in. She went over to her closet, and pulled out a giant tapestry.

“Help me put this over it… quick. Then we can tuck it against that wall. Make it look like a decoration.” She paused. “Wait… let me take a picture of it,” she said, grabbing her phone.

It didn’t take long. They worked swiftly, covering it with the colorful cloth. Then slipped it in between the wall and her bed. Chloe was right; it appeared as a vibrant headboard. Max thought it actually looked pretty nice, giving the room even more character.

Chloe looked it over briefly, nodded her head. Then she grabbed Max’s hand and pulled her out of the room.

“We need to go find Rachel right now. I need to see her. Make sure she is okay,” she said, sounding frantic.

They passed David on the stairs. He raised his eyebrows when he saw Chloe still holding her hand. “Uh oh, trouble in paradise? Saw Rachel going up to the dorms, does she have another lover too?”

Chloe just stared at him incredulously, not saying anything. He seemed to realize he had stepped over a line, as he shamefully lowered his eyes. He opened his mouth to say more, but the front door shut behind them before Max could hear what it was.

___________________________________________________________________

 

As Rachel stared at the keycard, she debated what she should do with it. She couldn’t forget her reasoning for wanting to investigate. To bring closure to the loved ones of the victims. This wasn’t supposed to be a revenge rampage; she needed to be careful it didn’t turn into one. That would be too easy. 

She tried to call her dad, but it went straight to voicemail without ringing. Sera’s too sounded as if it was off. It was pretty late. Maybe their phones had died. She beat herself up for not asking more when she’d had the chance. Could they still be watching Sean? Or were they both at home exhausted from being awake for too long. She chuckled to herself thinking that the real question was, how long could they physically stand each other in a small space like that?

And what the hell had Sean’s daughter meant by, ‘we all know what you are’? 

Victoria’s story kept running through her head. She had a key in her hand to a mysterious room hidden in the Prescott’s floor. And god, she felt such an urge to solve that mystery. But it was late, and she was tired. And that vodka hadn't helped. She restrained herself as she got out her phone to call Chloe. 

But she didn’t have to dial. When she glanced up she saw, strolling quickly across the lawn towards her, was her girlfriend. Rachel always liked how her blue hair looked at night. The reflections of the light catching different shades of color. She stood up and walked towards her with a grin, avoiding the path with the broken bottle.

When they reached one another, Chloe surprised her with a fierce kiss. Then she hugged her tightly, letting out a whispered sigh of relief.

“Thank you Buddha and Jesus and all the other saints out there… Oh god, I am so glad you are okay.”

A surprised Rachel saw Max over her girlfriend’s shoulder, and smiled at the girl. Slowly she pulled away, and gently asked Chloe, “Hey… what’s wrong?”

Chloe began to tell her what had happened. She let it all out in a big speech, like she had been holding it in until she saw her. She told her about seeing herself in her room. And the missing persons reports with Rachel on them, overflowing out of the printer. 

“But then, I noticed you were there. Faintly outlined, you were watching the me that was crying on the bed. You had this sad look in your eyes. But the other Chloe didn’t see you. She just went on crying... But I could see you. I could feel you… Like I had felt my dad, and the girls in those dreams… and... and I thought you were dead.” 

Chloe hugged her again, letting out a relieved laugh, “But you’re not, you are here and totally fine.” When she let go she turned around towards Max, still smiling, “So… what the hell was that then?”

Max shook her head, “I don’t have all the answers Chloe… I’m just as clueless about this as you are.”

Rachel was trying to comprehend what Chloe had just said. What a chilling concept. If she were dead in another timeline, would the two of them be able to reach it? She was about to bring it up, then thought better. Enough for tonight, let’s have some fun.

Instead, Rachel asked with a smirk, “Hey Max, want to help Samuel out?” 

“Samuel? The guy who gave me the keys to my dorm?” 

“Oh… you are staying here? ...Even more of a reason then.”

Rachel showed Max the bottle that was shattered over the bench. She told them how Victoria had thrown it. Chloe asked how the talk went, but she said she would tell them about it later. Feeling the weight of the keycard in her pocket equaling the weight of the decision of what to do with it. 

They joked around a bit before Max focused on the bottle. Then she reached out and took Rachel’s hand. This time Rachel tried to focus on remaining calm, channeling that energy. She watched through squinted eyes, as Max made the bottle reform then fly through the air to land on the step. When they moved apart, she felt that familiar charge. 

“If you kept going could you fill it back up?” Chloe jokingly asked.

Max scratched her head, thinking it over. “Yes? But then… what would have happened in the past… would Victoria have been drinking air? Ugh… I am way to tired to think about that…”

Rachel grabbed the bottle off the step, re-admiring the curves of the crystal. “Let’s go upstairs… we can help you set up your room.”

Max got out the keys, and opened the door. They went in quietly, not wanting to wake anyone up. Victoria would probably be out cold by now, but they weren’t sure if there were other students staying here over the summer.

When they got into Max’s room they started to unpack. Max hadn't brought much at all, but she did have a bunch of her photographs. They spent the night looking through them, deciding which ones to hang on the wall, intermittently giggling and then shushing one other. 

Max fell asleep first, lying down on the bed, arm curled under her pillow. Chloe sunk down next to her, back against the newly photofied wall, and Rachel heard her breathing even out as well. But she laid awake, brain still on duty. Thinking about that fucking keycard.


	7. Chapter 7

James was face down in the dirt, slowly regaining consciousness. The last moments that he remembered were playing behind his closed eyes.

Turning around and seeing the dark haired woman behind Sera. The syringe going into her neck. The way she had folded into the woman’s arms and how she’d gently laid her onto the ground near the back of the car.

James had reached them just as the woman was standing back up. Her disarming eyes had flicked up to his. He had tried to tackle her, but she’d easily dodged out of the way. He had turned, swinging out at her. She had moved away from his fist, and then lazily pushed her hand on his chest, tripping him over the hood of the car.

“Who are you?” he had screamed at her, legs pressed against the bumper.

She hadn’t answered, just stared, blocking Sera from him. 

He inched his way closer. As he had gone down on a knee towards them, she had seemed to anticipate it. She’d opened the front door of the car and knocked him backwards. 

Rolling, ass over teakettle, he’d landed on his back. As he’d sorely leaned up, he had seen the woman kneeling by Sera. She had put her fingers to her neck, checking her pulse. Then she had leaned down close to her and checked her breathing.

When James had shuffled his feet trying to stand, she hadn’t even bothered looking at him. 

“Stay down,” she’d said monotonously. 

As she had started opening the other door to lift Sera into the backseat, he had panicked. 

“Don’t touch her!”

The dark haired woman had sighed heavily and then set her back down. 

“Sean cannot know about her.” 

He had gotten to his feet and tried to appear more confident then he had felt. 

“What does that mean?” 

Crossing her arms, looking bored, she had ignored his question. 

“You aren’t going to stop,” she had stated. “Seems you care more than she thought.”

He had tried again, moving towards her as she’d stepped away from the car. Without missing a beat, she had tossed something onto the ground in front of him, and then had kicked out his feet. He had fallen down on top of it. Only seeing what it was as his face had neared the road. The syringe had gone right into his chest, depressing with his weight. Everything had gone dark.

Well James was awake now, and feeling sick. He slowly rolled over. His first thought when opening his eyes was how much his head hurt. The second was concern for Sera. The third was to get the fucking syringe out of his chest. He pulled it out and threw it away from him. How the hell had she done that?

His vision was swimming as he squinted against the dawn. He was curled on the ground of the dirt road. His clothes crumpled and his body stiff. He wasn’t sure how long he had been in that position. Judging by the rising sun, it had been awhile. He crawled to his feet, holding his head with his hands.

His car was gone. And so was his cell. He spun around, looking for Sera or the woman. But he was alone.

He started to stumble back the way they had come last night, then changed his mind. He needed answers. What was he going to do, just walk away? He couldn’t go home with nothing. Less than nothing now. He pushed away his fear for Sera. Focus. 

Trying to be brave, he reversed his direction. Heading towards the drive they had seen Sean turn in to last night.

It was an unmarked trail, evergreens leaning overhead. Two gravel rivulets ran through the grass. He staggered up them, looking all around him at once. He tried to shake off the feeling of being watched. 

He walked for a long time, his legs and body stretching out the stiffness. He cracked his neck, and wished desperately that he wasn’t out here by himself. The woods grew thicker, and the elevation increased. He continued down the track as the sun rose in the sky.

Finally, he reached the top of a small incline, his sightline expanding. He thought he saw a cabin in the distance. He wasn’t sure if he wanted Sean’s car to be there or not. He moved off the trail and into the pines, eyes peeled at the little structure.

Hiking through the trees, he felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck. He stopped and steadied himself against one of the trunks. Someone was definitely watching him. He heard the sound of muffled panicky breaths and searched around frantically for their source. As he turned, he tripped over a root, and sprawled into the brush. 

The fall saved him from getting his head knocked with a heavy stick. He heard it thump against one of the trees instead.

A girl was standing over him; stick at the ready, dirt smeared across her face. Rolling onto his back, defenseless, James raised his arms to protect himself. But her eyes changed from an expression of malice to one of relief.

“Oh my god, you're not him!” she whispered. 

She dropped the stick, and helped him up, shushing him as he tried to talk. She beckoned for him to follow, and they made there way behind a thick patch of pines. Quietly, she spoke.

“Please, we need to get out of here. Do you have a car?”

He shook his head, and pointed over in the direction of the cabin, questioning.

Her eyes grew large and fearful. 

“No. That’s where I came from,” she said as she looked at him suspiciously, second-guessing him. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, realizing he hadn't yet.

“Do I fucking look okay?” she spat back at him. 

She sat against one of the trees, looking exhausted. She seemed to decide to trust him. 

“He let me out last night, and told me to run…”

“Who did?” he asked, already knowing the answer but wanting confirmation.

“Some crazy middle-aged asshole...” she whispered angrily, stressfully picking the leaves out of her hair. “Ruthless bastard...”

“What’s your name?” he whispered, trying to keep her calm.

She stopped, eyes analyzing him. 

“Hannah.”

“Okay, Hannah, I’m James. I am going to get you out of here, but we need to move.”

“We can’t go that way,” she said pointing to the other side of the cabin. “That’s the direction I went last night. Ended up hitting a ridge and couldn’t go any farther. That’s why I had to sneak back this way.”

“There is road,” he said, gesturing back the way he came, “about a mile or so that way, maybe more. Have… have you seen him?”

“Not since last night…” 

She shook her head, tears creating clean streaks down her dirty face. 

“Why is he doing this?”

“I… I don’t know…” he answered honestly.

James peeked his head up from cover, glancing in all directions. 

“Okay, you ready? Let’s go.”

They started running through the woods, parallel to the trail. He kept the girl in front of him. Every so often, he looked behind to make sure they weren’t being followed. The forest seemed to go on forever, dark and menacing, the sun barely making it through the thick canvas of leaves.

They stayed on the soft needle of pines, hastily moving as quietly as they could. He kept his senses peeled for any changes on the ground around them, while making sure not to trip over anything. The girl was much more adapt at running through the woods then he was. 

He heard a strange cracking sound, only realizing too late what it was.

Suddenly something crashed down upon him, knocking the wind from his lungs. Again, his back landed on the forest floor. Hannah was still running. He urged her onwards mentally, since no words could come out. He was trapped underneath something heavy; it pressed his body into the soil. Feeling the rough bark against his skin, he focused his eyes on her instead. Sean was in pursuit of the girl, both of them sprinting through the trees. He twisted his head to follow their progress. He almost lost sight of them, just as Sean reached her.

“Stop! Leave her alone!” he gasped out as loudly as he could, seeing Sean on top of her, hands around her neck. It came out sounding like a wheeze. His breathing was growing shallower. 

James closed his eyes, turning away, unable to watch. He tried to shut off his hearing as well, focusing on the log lying across his chest, trapping him to the ground. He squirmed and kicked with all his might, trying to get it off. Tears of frustration squeezing out of the corners of his eyes.

Black spots started to collect at the edge of his vision. He bit down on his tongue, trying to regain consciousness. He couldn’t get his arms under the log. He couldn’t push it away from him. He started to succumb to the lack of oxygen, the green all around him fading into grey.

Suddenly the pressure was lifted. He sucked air back into his lungs.

Standing over him was Sean, effortlessly tossing the log away from them. He picked James up by his shirt, pressing him against one of the trees.

“Two for one,” he said, “What a bonus….” 

He lifted James higher. 

“Seems like you knew more about me than I thought…” 

Sean placed him back on his feet, and stepped away from him. 

“Stay.”

James found his body complying with the command, as hard as he tried he could not get his legs to run.

“Tell me, what are you doing here?” Sean demanded.

“I followed…” James tried to shut his mouth, as it spoke without his consent, “…you out here.”

Sean smiled like a shark, moving close to him. “How unlucky for you…”

James tried to flinch away from him, as Sean wrapped his hands around his neck. The strength in them seeming to grow as the life began to drain from James’s body. Again, his vision began to grow dark. Through the fog, he heard a woman’s voice call out.

“Stop.” 

Sean dropped him, and his body crumpled to the ground. God, he wasn’t sure how much more he could take. As he looked up he saw the dark haired woman standing behind Sean, indifferently staring at them both.

“Why?” Sean asked, full of aggravation, turning around to face her.

“We need him. He cannot die yet.”

Sean swore, and then relented. 

“Well, it’s a good thing I had her,” he said, gesturing over to Hannah’s body. “Nothing special, but still something.”

James closed his eyes against the tears; devastated for the girl he hadn't saved. His face was slapped hard. He fluttered his eyes back open, and saw Sean squatting down in front of him.

“Sleep,” Sean commanded.

Mercifully, he did.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel opened her eyes slowly. She felt the residue from a nightmare that she couldn’t remember. She stretched her arms out, and then let them fall back. She glanced over at Chloe, curled up on the bed. Lucky girl, she thought, as she felt the stiffness in her body from sleeping on the futon. 

Max wasn’t in bed next to Chloe anymore. Rachel was speculating where she had gone, when the door opened and she came in. She had a towel wrapped around her, hair wet from the shower. They smiled at each other.

“Next time, you can have the bed,” Max whispered jokingly when she saw Rachel trying to get the kink out of her back. “Sorry, I guess I fell asleep when we were talking.”

Rachel laughed quietly, waving away the apology. “Hey, it’s your bed… Have you been awake long?”

“Yeah... woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. Thinking too much.” Max answered.

“I totally get it. It took me forever to fall asleep last night, way too many thoughts…” Rachel yawned, leaning up so she could see the girl properly. “What time is it?”

Max stretched over to check her phone, holding onto her towel. “It’s only eight am.”

“We should let Chloe sleep... She is pretty useless before ten,” Rachel teased.

They both looked over at her curled up all cute and sleeping peacefully.

“Do you want to go get some coffee or something?” Max asked, “I just need to get dressed.”

“Sure. We can leave a note for her to come get us when she wakes up,” Rachel said, standing to fold the blankets she had slept on. 

Max was staring into her closet, picking out what to wear. She looked unsure about dressing in front of her. So Rachel said she would go wash up to give the girl some space. She grabbed her bag that Chloe had brought with them last night. 

As she walked out of the room, she couldn’t help glancing behind her. Max didn’t wait for the door to shut before dropping the towel. Rachel had a brief glimpse of the brunette’s silhouette as she turned away from her. She wondered if she had done that on purpose.

As she washed up, she turned on the cold water, and tried to ignore the thoughts that had finally gotten her to sleep the night before. 

Going back down the hallway, her mind returned to the keycard. She would have to tell them about Victoria’s story. She didn’t envy how hung-over the girl would be. They should probably leave before she woke up. She didn’t want her asking any questions while sober. Victoria’s room was right across the hall from Max’s. She was glad she had graduated, and wouldn’t have to see her a lot. She didn’t like thinking about the connection the girl had lost with Nathan. A connection that Rachel had severed. 

She found herself wishing again that she had tried to actually talk to Nathan. Tried to calm down, instead of feeding the fire. Then came the justification thoughts. That he had drugged, kidnapped, and photographed her. Not to mention, punched her right in the face, and then… what, had planned on giving her to Daddy to finish off? 

She gave a repulsed shudder. Shaking off the thoughts.

When she opened the door, she glanced over to see Chloe’s eyes open. She looked up at her as she entered, and Rachel knew the girl had been awake for a while. A laugh escaped her lips as she read the girl’s guilty expression.

Max turned around, smiling at them both, completely oblivious to their previous exchange. Chloe yawned like she was just waking up. Rachel suppressed her laughter, trying not to give it away.

“Sleep well?” she asked with a smirk.

“Really great,” Chloe responded with a sheepish grin.

Rachel sat down next to her, kissed her cheek and tousled her hair. Curious if the girl was also feeling a strange attraction to Max. She would have to ask her when she got the chance. That would be an interesting conversation to try and bring up, but Chloe had just given her an in.

Both deep in thought, neither of them noticed as Max snuck over to the desk and grabbed the camera Chloe had given her last night. She pointed it at them sitting on the bed together. Taking the photo before either of them had a chance to pose.

“That was perfect,” she said as she lay the Polaroid down, “You both had the same expressions on your face.”

This got them both laughing, and Max took another picture. 

“Let’s get one of you, too.” Chloe said, getting up and trying to take the camera from her.

Max hid it around her back, raising her eyebrows teasingly. “Oh yeah?”

As Chloe lunged for it, Max suddenly shifted so she was standing by the door. Chloe laughed, surprised.

“Hey, no powers! That’s got to be cheating.”

“I’d say so,” Rachel piped in.

“Alright, alright…” Max said chuckling, handing the camera over. “I have an idea… get one of me up here.”

She jumped up so she was standing on the bed, balancing next to Rachel. She leaned against the wall of her photos that they’d helped her put up the night before. Chloe pointed her father’s camera up at her and took the picture.

Before the reflection of the flash had even left her eyes, they changed. Suddenly seeming to age decades, a look of wisdom way beyond the reach of any of them. She threw her hand against the other wall to stable herself. Both Chloe and Rachel noticed the transformation. It was hard not to. 

Rachel stood up, putting out her hand to steady the girl. Being careful not to touch her skin. Max’s eyes looked into hers, and welled with tears. 

“Rachel…” 

Her smile grew, spilling the tears out of her eyes. When she glanced up and saw Chloe, she broke. Sliding down the wall, she kept looking between them both. A small trickle of blood ran from her nose.

Rachel got her a Kleenex from the bedside next to them. As she passed it to the girl, their hands briefly touched. Nothing happened. Rachel grabbed her hand, but didn’t feel anything from it.

Max sensed her concern and held her hand tightly back, “Don’t worry…”

“Where did it go, why can’t I feel you?”

“You mean this?” Max answered, and Rachel felt the familiar charge flow through her, a bright light appearing between their hands. Then the energy receded, and the light went back out.

“Learned to control that long ago.” She winked at her, “Just takes practice…”

Max let go, wincing. She put the Kleenex to her nose and said, “I can’t stay long… Too much...“ 

She looked up at Rachel, “Your father… they will try to use him against you. Tell Max to watch for the burn. And Chloe, you… you run.”

Her head fell, and when it came back up again she had returned. The look in her eyes was gone. Only confusion was there now.

“What the hell?” she said, surprised to find she was sitting.

Max saw the bloody Kleenex in her hand, and some of the bewilderment lessened.

“Did I pass out?” she asked them both.

Chloe and Rachel raised their eyebrows at each other.

“Not exactly…” Chloe said, sitting down next to her on the bed.

Rachel joined them, and they began to tell Max what had just happened in her absence.

___________________________________________________________________

 

“Why did the ancient eyed Max say that I have to run?” Chloe asked suspiciously as she turned her truck onto Rachel’s street. The thought had been nagging at her all morning. 

“Hell if I know…” Rachel responded, looking far off and distracted. 

After going to the Two Whales, they had driven Max back to the dorms. She seemed lethargic. She said she had a headache and needed to rest. Before she’d gotten out of the truck, she had made them promise they wouldn’t do anything dangerous without her. 

Rachel had done most of the talking at the diner, filling them in on everything she had learned from Victoria. Now, she was quiet and pensive. As they had left Blackwell, Rachel had said she wanted to go her house to check on her dad. She had called his phone and it was still off. 

Chloe glanced over at her as she drove down the street, knowing what was keeping her mind preoccupied. She pulled up to the Amber house and parked the beast at the curb. As she turned off the ignition and started to get out, Rachel stopped her.

“Can we have a cigarette first?” she asked.

“Yeah, course,” Chloe answered getting out her pack.

She handed one to Rachel, and lit it for her before grabbing her own. They both rolled their windows down all the way, letting in the warm summer air.

Chloe continued her thought, “…Maybe she meant run as a metaphor. I have terrible stamina, so I hope it’s not a long distance thing…” she joked, as she hit her cigarette.

Rachel barely smiled. She was staring at her house. 

“My dad’s car isn’t in the driveway.”

“Maybe it’s in the garage,” she offered.

“Yeah… maybe…” Rachel sighed, “So much for having a relaxing summer after graduation…”

“Hey, we had a few relaxing days. I can remember several where we stayed in bed…” Chloe kidded, leaning down to flick her cigarette in the ashtray.

When she sat back she saw Rachel was smirking at her. “So… speaking of staying in bed... Did you get a good look this morning?”

Chloe laughed, blushing slightly, “It wasn’t like that, I woke up… in stages.”

“Sure…” Rachel teased. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “So… did you like what you saw?”

Chloe rubbed the back of her neck, considering.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t…” She looked over at her curiously, “That… that doesn’t bother you?”

“No, I definitely can’t fault you,” Rachel joked, “Might have gotten a slight glance myself.”

Chloe gently pushed her over, chuckling at her response. She didn’t know how to describe her feelings for Max. They ran too deep. The fact that they had grown up together, mixing together with new adult undertones… well, after all this time apart, it was like they had reignited.

Rachel was watching her, seeming to know what she was thinking.

“Well…?” she asked, eyes flashing.

“Well, what?” Chloe shrugged at her.

Rachel gave a slightly exasperated smile, “You like her, don’t you? Do you want to-“

Chloe stopped her, “Hold up… This isn’t getting drunk with Frank and fooling around in his RV… We are talking about my oldest friend…”

“I know. But I am okay with it if you are.” 

Rachel opened the car door. 

“Just think about it.”

With that she got out and started walking up to her house. Chloe sat behind the wheel, doing just what her girlfriend told her to.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel walked into her house, smiling. That had been a nice distraction.

She called out for her parents as she entered to see if they were home. Rose came around the corner, just as the door shut. She had her phone in her hand. 

“Rachel, I was just about to call you.”

“Hey Mom, how are you?” she said, hugging her tightly.

Rose gave her a sad smile, “I’m okay, sweetheart, how are you?”

Rachel hated lying to her, but she had no choice, “Great, awesome summer…”

“Where’s Chloe?” her mother asked.

Rachel glanced out of the window, “She is still in the truck… trying to catch up,” she said with a secret smile.

She looked at her mother’s strained face, and saw she lacked her usual composure. She didn’t seem as put together as she normally did. 

“Is Dad here?”

“No. He… he hasn’t been here for the last couple nights.”

“Shit.” Rachel took out her phone, and tried calling him again. Then she dialed Sera. Both went to voicemail right away. “Shit, shit, shit….”

Rose gave her a questioning look, but didn’t ask further. That was just what she was like. She never dug into things with Rachel or her father. She preferred to skim along the surface, growing uncomfortable when things ever went deeper. Confrontation was not her strong suit. 

“What did Dad say to you when he left? Do you know where he went?” Rachel tried digging.

“Your father doesn’t tell me anything…” 

Rose trailed off, trying to keep it inside. Then she took a breath and forced herself to be vulnerable.

“Things haven’t been so great between us lately… and now that you’ve graduated, well… I told him I needed some time to think. He is giving me some space.”

Rachel tried to absorb this while suppressing the feelings it arose in her. Her parent’s marriage was disintegrating. She already had so much to worry about, this just mounted on top of it. 

“I’m so sorry, Mom…” she said, trying to hide the fact that this information, though not surprising, still really bothered her. 

At least she didn’t have to come up with an excuse for her father’s absence. But she still needed to figure out what to do next. All of it started to overwhelm her, panic building. She concentrated on her breathing. In and then out. The last thing she needed was to start a fire in her house, in front of the mother who knew nothing of her gifts. 

Rachel needed to leave. She wanted to go by the Prescott house, try to handle one thing at a time. Right now finding out where her parents were was the priority. While she was thinking about how Chloe was going to throw a fuss about going there, her mother asked her a question that caught her off guard.

“Do you think…do you think your father and Sera…?”

Rachel spoke before she finished, knowing what she was struggling to ask. 

“No. No way. Sera… Sera seems to hate Dad… I really don’t think that would happen.”

Rose shook her head, and then took a step towards her, tenderly brushing her hair away from her face.

“Oh Rachel, you are young, and I hope you never learn this firsthand… but… the strongest hate is born from love.”

She threw her arms around her mother, trying to comfort her without words. She didn’t know what to think about what she had just said. She rarely spoke so candidly. Rachel stepped away from her, still holding onto her arms.

“I love you Mom.”

“I love you to Rachel.” she said, hugging her again. “It’s all going to be okay.”

Rachel could only hope that were true. But the ominous warning from the other Max kept running through her head. After saying goodbye to her mother, she headed back out to the truck.

“That was quick...” Chloe said when she opened the door. Then she saw her face, and stated, “He isn’t there.” 

“No,” she said, then added sarcastically, “But the good news is I didn’t have to tell my mom that he might have been taken by a serial killer. She thinks he is just quote unquote, giving her space,” Rachel’s voice cracked slightly, “I think they are splitting up. ”

Chloe sighed, “Oh Rachel…that sucks… I am so sorry.” She spoke softly, holding her hand for support. 

Rachel pulled her hand away, receding into herself, “It’s okay, I… I don’t really want to think about that right now. First, I want to make sure Sera and my dad are safe. We should have started looking for them sooner…”

Chloe looked apprehensive, trying to read her. It made Rachel angry. She could feel her emotions swirling into a storm. She stared out the window.

“Just drive, Chloe.”

___________________________________________________________________

 

Max felt better. The nap had definitely helped. Her headache was gone, as was the weariness in her body. She didn’t like how the invasion had made her feel, as if she was brittle and breaking. She stared up at her photo wall, thinking.

Watch for the burn.

What does that mean? She wished she could have been able to ask questions, but she was too busy being used like a puppet. The girls had said that she had known both of them, and was concerned for their safety. Rachel seemed to think it was still her in some way. But how the hell was this other Max getting into her head? It was violating. 

She glanced over at her camera. She felt a little afraid of it, her mind correlating the experiences. Maybe she just wouldn’t take pictures of herself anymore. Not if that was going to keep happening. Or maybe she should? After all she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that letter.

She took out her journal and began an entry. She had always found this cathartic. Leech the cut. She wrote in it pretty often. Recently, its contents had changed for the bizarre. If anyone ever found it, they would think it was a work of fiction. 

After she had written about the fucked up stuff, she started to write about Rachel and Chloe. How she felt about them, how she thought they might feel about her. Hey, if you can’t tell your journal, whom can you tell?

Her mind went back to this morning at the diner. As Chloe had gone up to pay the bill, Rachel had leaned across the table towards her. Her hair smelled like jasmine. She’d told Max what else had happened when she was under. How she could control the force between them, and had said she’d learned through practice. 

Rachel had cocked her eyebrow up and gazed at her like she was trying to read her reaction. Max had tried to play it cool, but she had this ache in her fingertips, wanting to feel the girl’s soft skin beneath them again. Luckily, Chloe had come back before she had actually reached out to touch the girl. 

‘No light shows allowed in public places,’ she wrote in block letters at the bottom of the page.

She put her journal away when she heard the door across the hall slam shut. Curious about this girl that they had told her about, she got up and went out. As she opened the door, she saw a skinny blonde with short hair dragging a suitcase behind her. Struggling to carry the other bags she had over her shoulder. 

When she heard Max behind her, she turned around, startled by her sudden appearance. She looked her up and down, disgruntled. Frowning at her clothes, and general appearance. Max was a little taken aback by her expression, and remained silent.

“Who are you and why are you staring at me?” Victoria asked disdainfully.

“Hi, I’m Max, just moved in across the hall,” she tried to speak amicably.

“I can see that, since you just came out of there,” she shot back.

“Oh... well… are you leaving?”

“Yes, Sherlock… isn’t that obvious?”

“I guess so…” Max said awkwardly.

“Okay, cool. Bye,” she said dismissively, resuming her walk down the hallway.

“Jeeze, you’re a real bitch, huh?” Max said after her.

Victoria whipped around, “What did you just say to me?”

Max didn’t bother answering, she just rewound, watching the girl reverse down the hallway and back into her room.

This time when Victoria came out with her suitcase, Max was already out there. She pretended like she was walking towards her room.

“Hi,” she said to the girl, trying to sound indifferent.

Victoria looked her up and down again.

“Hi.”

“Do you want help with your bags?” Max asked casually.

“Actually, yes...” she said looking relieved. “I’ve got a few more in here. And a horrible headache. Need to get the hell out of here.”

As she took some of the bags from her, she introduced herself, “I’m Max.”

“Victoria.” 

She glanced over at her as they walked. 

“Good luck being here in the summer, not much to do.”

Max tried not to laugh considering what was going on. 

“Oh, I think I’ll be busy. I grew up here… got some friends who live in town.”

As they left the dorm and started to walk across campus, Victoria inquired more. 

“Do they go here? I might know them.” 

“They used to… Chloe Price,” Max answered without really thinking.

“Ugh… gross.” 

Max felt herself growing defensive, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, just that girl is super trash,” Victoria stated bluntly.

She stopped, and turned towards her, “What the fuck? Are you serious right now?”

“Uh… yeah? You’re her friend, how have you not noticed that?”

Max didn’t want to cause a scene, and chew this girl out the first time she met her. So after she did, she rewound again, going back with her across the lawn. 

“Do they go here? I might know them.” Victoria unknowingly repeated.

Curious about the varying results Max said, “Yeah, she just graduated… Rachel Amber.

“Oh...” Victoria said quietly, “Yeah I know her.“ She seemed to grow a nervous energy, “Did… did you talk to her yet today?”

Max had a feeling as to why she was asking, so she tried to pretend like she was oblivious to knowledge Rachel had shared with her. 

“Yeah, we went out to breakfast.”

She could feel Victoria studying her, but she must’ve passed, because she didn’t ask anything more. When they got to the parking lot, she was lead over to a beautiful silver Mercedes.

“Wow, is this your car?”

“Yeah… ” Victoria looked at it with disinterest. “Well, thanks for helping with the bags, Maxine.”

“Just Max, please. And no problem, guess I’ll see you in the fall.”

Victoria was about to respond when she turned to frown over at the school. Max looked to where the girl’s eyes were pointed. She saw Chloe’s stepdad staring at them. God, is this where he worked? 

“Look out for that one, he will be watching your every move,” Victoria said, putting her bags into the trunk. 

As she walked to the driver’s side door, she yelled out to him.

“I’m leaving, your precious pool is no longer under threat!”

Victoria climbed into her car, saying goodbye. Max waved and then got her phone out. Putting her headphones on, she started to walk the long way around campus to avoid Chloe’s stepdad; she just didn’t want to deal with him.

But David stayed. Standing and watching. He saw Victoria’s car pull out of the lot, and turn out of driveway. He saw a car start up on the street after she had passed it. He saw it pull out after her. He saw it follow her down the road. He took out his notebook and wrote down the license plate. Then resumed his patrol of the grounds.


	8. Chapter 8

Sean contained the energy the girl’s life had provided, gauging. It was slowly diminishing. He let it trickle through his veins. It was still enough to be able to deal with James. Stupid fool. As it flowed through him, it begged to be used. And oh, how he wanted to. But he should wait. Parcel it out. 

Though, he could always kill again, he thought with a smile, it was his favorite thing to do. 

To entertain himself, he sat down, and played out the hunt in his head. It had been an enjoyable night, following the girl through the woods. She had almost lost him at the ridge. But he’d found her again. 

Such fun.

He was distracted by a sudden snore, calling his attention downward.

James was passed out in front of him, blissfully unaware on the floor. He’d been so fucking easy. Which is why Sean liked to space them out, preferring the challenge. What fun is it if you can just tell your victim to stop? 

This idiot had also run right into his deadfall trap. Too busy looking at his feet. 

He should have left him under it. What a waste it had been lifting it off of him. But he had been basking in bloodlust, feeling strength running through his muscles. He had done it without thinking. He wished it would last but there was never enough. None of them had been like the first.

He wanted that again. That glorious energy filling him. It had been such a long time. His mind returned to his favorite fantasy. Hands itching to be wrapped around Pallas’s neck, taking everything from her. Just as he had Beverly. But she always saw it coming.

He was used to her, though. He couldn’t feel much, but he still felt that strange affiliation drawing him to her. Even though it had been severely tainted over the years.

He cracked his knuckles and got up. Sean needed a distraction. He walked over to James, and put his mouth to his ear.

“Wake up.”

The pitiful look on the man’s face, when he saw where he was, made Sean bark laughter at him scathingly. 

“Sit up.”

James complied, and then opened his mouth to talk, but Sean silenced him.

“Shut up. Don’t move. And don’t speak unless you are asked a question.”

James’s lips closed tight, but his eyes remained alert and questioning. Sean stared into them. He wished he could just kill him, and then go exploit the energy in some city where no one knew his name. Instead, he began using it against the man before him.

“What do you know of me?” 

“You kill…” James answered, then his eyes grew watery, “You killed Hannah…”

Sean laughed at the man again. Then remembered what he should really ask.

“What does your daughter know of me?”

James’s look grew furious; Sean could see him trying with all his might not to speak. 

Finally, he gasped out, red faced, “She knows about the dark room at your barn.” 

“How does she know about the dark room?” Sean commanded.

James’s hands shook with the effort to remain silent. Eyes flashing as he struggled against the secrets that Sean was forcing out of him. Secrets were tricky. He felt part of his power leaving with each question demanded.

“Your son and her teacher… drugged her... They took her there,” James finally revealed.

Sean kneeled down close, enjoying the strain this was having on the man. He felt a smile growing on his face.

“And what did they do to your little girl?”

James grew distraught and stuttered out, “Took… took pictures of her.” 

“And then what happened?”

“She woke up.”

“What did they do when she woke up?” he demanded.

“They died.”

Sean’s smile promptly faded from his face.

“My son is dead?”

James looked irately into his eyes, and spoke easily this time.

“Yes.” 

Sean backed away, absorbing this. What a fucking waste. How many goddam years had he spent on that boy? All for nothing. And Jefferson had been the closest thing he had ever had to a friend, so useful... 

He backhanded James, hard. He went flying across the room, unable to catch himself. 

He watched with satisfaction at the pain he had caused as the man groaned on the floor. He made him sit back up, and stay still again. Blood rolled down his forehead from a cut. Frozen, he couldn’t wipe it away.

“How did they die?” Sean asked angrily.

“Rachel…” he stuttered out, still trying to conceal. His mouth shut again.

Sean was fed up with it. Furious, he shouted a command at him, depleting the energy.

“Speak! Tell me how they died!”

Sean listened intently as James described his son’s final moments in the dark room. 

His displeasure faded. Excitement rushed in to fill its place. He leaned forward as he asked more questions about the girl. No wonder Nathan had been so drawn to her. Suddenly, the burn marks in the dark room made sense. 

Had Pallas been keeping things from him? Or was it possible that she hadn't figured it out yet? 

No. She knew. She always fucking knew. And hadn't told him. 

His frustration over being left in the dark didn’t come near to quenching the overwhelming exhilaration. 

It had been such a long time… Finally, he had found another. 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel felt helpless and hated it. Living with a fear that constantly floated beside her. It had been two days. And still nothing. 

She had checked Sera’s place, almost wishing she would actually find her and her dad there together. Better that than what she feared had happened. But the place had seemed vacant, and no one answered when she'd knocked. Rachel yearned to speak to her. She didn’t realize how much they talked on the phone, until she couldn’t anymore. She missed it. She could just be real with Sera, no judgments. She tried to embody some of her birthmother’s strength.

They had been watching Sean’s house, but no one had been there. Not even a fucking gardener. They’d taken it in shifts, one of them lying in the backseat. Chloe’s truck would have been suspicious in such a nice neighborhood. So they had borrowed Rose's car, parking down the street. They’d spent the hours quietly sharing their varied theories, waiting, but Sean never showed.

When they had driven by the Prescott’s the first time, Rachel had wanted to see if she could get in. But Chloe had stopped her, reminding her that it was the middle of the afternoon. Rachel had just been so angry that day, needing to take some sort of action. She wanted to see what was in that damn room. She’d been keeping the keycard in her pocket with her constantly. She’d felt its presence looming over her, a problem that she could actually solve.

Chloe had convinced her that they should watch first. That they wouldn’t want to miss their chance to be able to follow Sean to Sera and James. But now, as the second night approached, she was done waiting. 

Max was with them, happy to tag along despite the danger. Rachel was glad she was there; she could help them get in. But Chloe was in a panic about both their safety. As they walked up to the fence, Rachel reminded her.

“It was you that other Max said had to run. Don’t worry about us,” she said, giving her a chaste kiss. 

Max looked away from them, and then suddenly appeared on the other side of the fence, the gate opening easily.

“Nice one,” Rachel said smiling at her.

They carefully snuck up to the house, staying in the shadows. Max was in front of them at one moment and then gone the next. 

After a few seconds she was at the front door, waving them inside.

“There is an alarm. Quick, Rachel, I have to rewind while we are all in here.”

After the door close, she grabbed Rachel’s hand. Using the power to focus directly on the alarm, and letting go when she was finished. Rachel hoped the flash of light didn’t draw anyone’s attention to the dark house. 

The boost from Max gave her the incentive to start down the hallway first. Both the girls trailed behind.

When they reached the office, she slipped inside. It was a beautiful room, stately and full of mahogany. Books lined the walls, shelves framing an intriguing painting of the woods. The large desk was immaculate. Nothing was out of place. 

“Careful about touching stuff. We have to make sure to leave everything in the same position.”

“Yeah, he definitely seems extremely anal... God, look at his pens…” Chloe joked, pointing at the neat row of a red, blue, and black matching pens, perfectly in line with the edge of the desk.

“Do you see a laptop or anything in here?” Rachel asked, looking around.

“No. Maybe he took it with him…?” Chloe answered. “So where does the keycard go?”

“I don’t know yet… Victoria told me she saw an entrance in the floor. Like at the barn. There’s got to be some way to open it,” she said, scanning the room.

They both stopped searching and looked over to Max when she softly called their names. She had a notebook open in front of her and was leaning over the desk, looking through it. She showed them what was inside. They all grew silent as Max turned the pages.

“That’s Nathan’s. He was always carrying it around.” Rachel said.

“Yeah, I remember,” Chloe stated, and then cleared her throat. “Seems like he had a bit of a thing for you.” 

“That’s an understatement,” Max said as she scanned the drawings in it. “But there is other stuff in here too. Dark... Guy seemed to be in a lot of anguish. Half of it’s scary and violent and the other half is full of self-hatred. 

Rachel took the notebook from Max, and started to flip through. She felt like she needed to see every page. She was trying to reconcile the boy who used to be nice to her with his actions in the dark room. How did he get so jaded?

She turned the page and came across a drawing of a dark figure, standing in a doorway. You could only see the eyes, maliciously staring out. It cast a long shadow, scrawling across the page. When she looked closer she saw that it was made up of the word ‘legacy’ written in tiny messy print.

“This… god, this makes me feel bad.” Rachel confessed to the girls, as she continued scanning the book. “He seemed so broken.”

They glanced over at her, stopping their search.

“This might seem harsh, but… I think you did him a favor,” Chloe stated bluntly. “And a lot of his future victims.”

“Yeah… but hell, look at this one.” Rachel showed them a drawing of a figure that looked like Nathan, tearing his body in half. “He was sick, he could have been helped…”

“I don’t know if that could ever happen with a father like his,” Max said quietly from the other corner of the room, pointing to a picture of Nathan and his dad. 

In it they were kneeling down, proudly holding their rifles. It looked like they were in Africa, next to them was the corpse of a lion, mane matted with blood.

“If Sean is what we think he is… well… Nathan was probably abused his whole life. That takes a toll…” 

“Yeah, but he had a good side too. I felt it… that’s part of why I was so hurt when I woke up in that fucking place. He had been my friend, and that betrayal… “ Rachel trailed off.

Something had caught her eye. The light switch on the wall was slightly askew. Considering how obsessively organized everything else was in the room, it was obvious. Wouldn’t Sean have noticed that? She went to examine it closer.

“I don’t think we should turn any lights on, Rach.”

“I’m not. Look,” she said, turning the whole plate.

Underneath was a secret compartment. Resting inside it was a tiny black remote. It almost looked like a key fab. Rachel grabbed it and pressed the button on its surface.

“Wait!” Max warned to late.

The fancy leather chair behind the desk fell backwards as an entrance slowly appeared. It crashed loudly, banging off of metal stairs and echoing throughout the house. They all cringed at the noise, holding their breaths. When nothing else happened they let them out.

The heavy chair had landed at the bottom, blocking what looked like a steel door. Next to the door was the key card slot. Rachel smiled when she saw it. Finally. She went down the stairs and tried to pick up the chair.

“Chloe, will you help me? It’s too heavy…” she said, standing on the steps as she struggled with it.

Chloe was about to jump down there and help her out when Max stopped her.

“You guys, remember?” she said, holding up her left hand.

Rachel came back up, and held out her hand for Max to take. They watched as the chair bounced back up the stairs. Chloe caught it when it reached the top, sliding it over to the corner. 

Rachel let go first, eager to see what was behind that door. She took out the keycard, holding it up. There were little notches of shinier metal, but otherwise there were no defining marks on it. She placed it in, notch side down, and heard a beep. She took the card back out and the panel clicked out with it. Behind the panel she saw a keypad.

“Shit.” 

On the keypad were letters instead of numbers. It could literally be any word. And they didn’t know what length. Shit, she said again in her head. She looked up at the girls. 

“What should we try?”

“What if we put the wrong one in and it triggers an alarm or something?” Chloe asked.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll just rewind,” Max answered, “But this isn’t going to be easy. I’m going to go look at the bookshelf, maybe there is a clue there.”

Rachel nodded, “Okay, I am going to try Nathan’s name.”

Suddenly, Max was sitting behind her on the stairs. She looked worn and tired.

“Stop,” she said lazily.

Rachel turned around, taking in her demeanor.

“How many times have you rewound?”

“I’ve lost count… but I can tell you it’s definitely not Nathan, Kristine, or Caroline… Or their dead dog, Rufus.”

Max sighed, exasperated, “It’s not the town he grew up in, or where he met his wife. Nor the artist name of the painting, or any of the author’s on the shelf. We tried the titles as well. Chloe had the idea to try all sorts of creepy serial killer terms, but those didn’t work either.”

“What about where he went to hunt that lion, does it-“ Chloe started to say.

Max interrupted, tiredly chuckling, “You’ve had that idea several times, sorry, no.”

Rachel tried to think, but she was coming up blank. Deliberating, she sat down on the step next to Max. She needed to think clearly, there was something obvious they were missing. Max was watching her as Chloe paced back and forth above them, still asking if they had tried certain words. Each time she said that they had.

Rachel put her face in her hands, trying to concentrate, her blonde hair falling down in front of her. She felt Max gently tucked it back for her, slowly grazing her fingertip along her the top of her ear. It sent a shiver through her. And cleared her mind. She turned to look at her.

“Did we try any of the victim’s names?”

“No. Which one should we try?” Max asked.

Chloe spoke from behind them, coming down the stairs, “Beverly.”

Chloe walked between them, scooting them apart as she went over to the pin pad. Slow and deliberate, she typed in the name, and then backed away.

They stood up next to her as the entry unlocked. Rachel stepped forward, moving her aside, and opened the heavy steel door. The others peered behind her. She told them to stay there, then walked inside alone.

The room was small. She felt claustrophobic the second she entered. It contrasted from the orderly nature of the office above. It seemed animalistic. A dark collection covered the wall. 

The missing IDs from the purses had ended up here. Perfectly aligned, each with a thick nail driven through the tops, pinning them to the wall. Revulsion made her turn away as she saw the braided strands of hair hanging off the nails. She saw seventeen familiar faces and names, placed prominently by the top. She had memorized each one.

There was a space in the corner near the floor that was blank and worn down. It looked like where he liked to sit. Rachel shuddered, thinking of the hours Sean must have spent in here. She wondered what he got out of it. Did he stay in here reliving his fantasies, over and over?

She forced herself to sit down in his place, to try to see what he saw. Her eyes were automatically drawn to the far wall. A solitary photo was nailed here, a long braid of blonde hair encircling it. Rachel stood up and moved closer. 

It was an impressive candid shot of three people standing in front of a lake, looking out. Sean was on the left, looking years younger. On the right was a beautiful tan girl with deep captivating eyes. In the middle, the only one smiling, arms wrapped around the other two, was a pretty blonde. She briefly wondered if Jefferson had taken the picture. It reminded her of his other work. Yuck, she thought, she wished she didn’t know that. 

She looked around to see if any of his photographs had ended up here, but didn’t see any. This was strictly Sean’s space. Moving back to stare at the picture again, she jumped when she heard Chloe mutter behind her.

“Holy shit… “ the girl said with wide eyes, looking around the room.

She moved next to Rachel, both of them gazed at the photograph together.

“That’s Beverly... She looks just like she did in the dream.”

“Yeah. They knew each other,” Rachel stated. 

“She was in Jefferson’s collection too?" 

“Yeah…” Rachel muttered, thinking.

“Ugh, it’s creepy in here…” Max said, leaning in from the doorway.

Rachel looked around at the compilation on the walls, anger flooding through her. Sean didn’t deserve to look at them. She wanted to tear them all down, take them away from him. She longed to find this fucker. Hoped that he would come for her. She could take care of him in a second. And force him to tell her where her parents were.

“We can’t forget the point of being here,” Rachel said, forcing the thoughts away.

She and Chloe left the room so Max could come in. She started taking Polaroid’s of each of the IDs on the wall. They didn’t want to use their phones in case Max had to rewind. They would just lose them when time went back. No way to hold onto something digital.

“I still think it’s too soon to send copies of these, even if we do it anonymously,” Max stated, continuing a previous debate as she worked.

“Look at this room; it’s like some behavior analyst’s wet dream… “ Chloe said. “The pictures, with the address... they’ll have to investigate.”

Rachel was frustrated. Her father would know what to do. She understood Max’s fear of contacting the government on this. She felt apprehensive about it too. But how else were they supposed to notify those who actually cared about what had happened to their loved ones? She couldn’t just send them letters with a scary photograph attached, telling them what happened. That would just be traumatizing and cruel. Plus, she still didn’t know exactly what had occurred. And Sean was a serial killer. Sure she could go after him, burn him easily. But what about afterwards… Then again, she didn’t want any of them ending up in some government complex being tested… She came to a conclusion.

“I think we should find them first.” 

“Your parents?” Max asked, finishing with the enshrined photograph, than putting away the camera.

“No… well obviously them too, but I mean his victims. Where did he bury his victims? An investigation would take a long time… but if we found the bodies…”

“Okay, but how?” Chloe asked.

“I have an idea, but let’s get out of here first. You done?” Rachel asked Max.

Max nodded and they left, shutting the door behind them. It gave a mechanical click as it closed. They put everything back in place, as if Max was using her powers. When Rachel closed the light switch she debated whether or not to leave it crooked. Everything else in the room was so rigidly straight. But she left it how she found it. 

Instead of leaving the house, Rachel led them upstairs. 

Nathan’s room was even darker than the rest of the house. Thick curtains covered the only window, they fluttered from the wind. She looked around at a bedroom devoid of color. While she waited for her eyes to adjust, she turned to the others.

“So, Chloe, what do you think?”

Her girlfriend gave her an exasperated look, “Oh, is it my turn now?”

“I don’t know, maybe he’ll show you something?” Rachel said, pleadingly.

Max spoke up, “Well, I had to rewind to… um… activate Chloe last time. And well…”

“She means you’ll have to be touching in order to not lose your memories as well. And who the hell knows what could happen then…” Chloe piped in.

“Let’s find out.” Rachel said, mildly excited. “Enough of the theories.”

They both shrugged and agreed.

Rachel took Max’s hand first, eager for the touch. A pulse ran through her. Max seemed to be trying to control it, but was struggling. The flecks of light shot out in the dark room. Illuminating the posters on the walls. She felt the girl give in to it as it began to fully surge between them, charging her up.

Chloe hesitated, and then moved towards them. Rachel felt a strange anticipation as she reached out to grab Max’s arm. As she made contact with her skin, Max rewound. 

Rachel felt the strange sensation of being drawn upon. She could still move, but the curtains had stopped waving. The air seemed stale. She watched Chloe through squinted eyes, trying to ignore the white blue flame blossoming around her hand. The girl’s eyes had gone stormy.

“Oh my god,” Chloe said, “I… wow… I can’t even describe this.”

“What?” Max asked, seeming to have trouble talking, “What do you see?”

“There… there are so many…” Chloe answered, “Let me try to focus…”

Something surprised her. 

“Oh… Hello… um… yeah?” she said, appearing to speak to the air in front of her. 

She turned toward Rachel, gazing like she was trying to decide something, and then nodded.

“This sounds crazy, but… I think I can show you.” Chloe said to them. 

Her face relaxed, as if she had found some tranquil place inside her. Max shuddered and gripped Rachel’s hand tighter as her body was turned into a conduit.

Rachel gasped as she saw an image developing in her head. She raised her hand, and let Chloe’s power flow through her. It was a darker energy than Max’s, something from deep inside the girl that she kept hidden. It made Rachel feel even closer to her.

“Oh, Chloe…”

Rachel followed the instinct inside her and the combination of both the girls. Her flames grew. It was a relief to let them out. They turned a translucent purple, spinning slowly into shape. Slowly a figure formed. It stood in front of them, floating a few inches off the floor. 

“Did it work, can you see it?” Chloe asked, curiously, her eyes still obstructed with the swirling tendrils of grey that covered them.

“Yes, it’s… it’s Nathan.” Rachel responded in awe. 

The room was washed in violet from the light he was made of. He hovered in front of them avoiding eye contact with her. When he did look up, his expression was full of remorse. So different from the last time she had seen him. 

“It looks like he is trying to talk.” Rachel said.

Max's eyes were struggling to stay open as she looked into the bright light. Her legs looked wobbly.

“He is saying that he is sorry,” Chloe told them.

Rachel raised the hand that had created him. He raised his as well, staring at her solemnly. She put her palm against his. She felt the purple flames licking against her skin, colder than they usually felt. 

“I’m sorry too…” Rachel confessed to him.

The figure lowered his head in shame, shaking his head at her apology. She put her hand back down.

“Slow down….” Chloe spoke to him.

“What is it?” Rachel asked her.

“He is sending me all these images, I can’t… Oh Jesus, that was a rough one…” she said, shivering.

“He is warning us. He wants us to be quick.”

Rachel saw him pointing over to something. When he saw her eyes following, he smiled at her. On his desk was a picture, of him and his father in a forest.

“He wants us to go there.” Chloe told them.

“To the woods?”

He nodded his head, and opened his mouth again.

Chloe was about to repeat what he’d said when, suddenly, he disappeared in a flash. Darkness overtook the room once more. Rachel felt Max’s hand slip out of hers. She had dropped to the floor, fainting between them. 

___________________________________________________________________

When Max opened her eyes, she was in the backseat of the car. Chloe was with her, gently shaking her shoulders.

“She’s awake.”

“Thank god,” she heard Rachel say from the front. 

Max sat up, clearing her head, “What happened?”

“You fainted. And then Chloe carried you out of the house like a white knight,” Rachel teased from the driver’s seat.

“Are you okay, Mad Max?" Chloe asked, concerned, "You scared me."

“Yeah, I’m okay… it was just… a lot.” 

“I’d say so.” Rachel muttered, turning the wheel.

“Where are we going?”

“Home.” Chloe answered with finality in her voice.

Rachel furrowed her brow, but said nothing. 

“I’m sorry, Rachel, but we can’t go out there yet. I promise I will tell you in the morning. But, please, let’s just go get some sleep.”

Max could sense this bothered her, but she agreed. They drove back to Chloe’s in silence. Each of them deep in thought over what they’d just seen. And felt.

Max was tired, but she couldn't help gazing at them both intriguingly. She was even more drawn to them. Their essences had coalesced within her, expanding her desire. She closed her eyes, trying to remember how it had felt. How Chloe had loosened her hold and sent out a cold soothing energy, so different from Rachel’s fiery spark. How they had both channeled through her, drawing from her. How they had combined with her own, forging a deep bond that she could still recall. 

She hugged Chloe close to her, as she met Rachel’s eyes in the mirror. Seeing her own thoughts reflected there. Chloe wrapped an arm around her, and Max rested her head on her shoulder. She closed her eyes, awash in comfort, and didn’t move until they reached the house.

They went up to Chloe's room quietly, figuring David and Joyce were already sleeping. They made copies of the pictures, and then added them to the board. Covering it back up again, just in case. When they'd finished they glanced at each other exhaustedly. 

Chloe collapsed on the bed, yawning. When Max started to make a bed on the floor, Rachel stopped her.

“No way, sleep up here. Chloe doesn’t mind being in the middle. Do you?”

Chloe’s yawn turned into a sleepy smile, “No. I’ll be the DMZ,” she joked.

After getting ready, they curled up together. Chloe fell asleep first. Max and Rachel lying on either side of her, trying to do the same. 

Max was on her back, close to the edge. She was staring at the ceiling, thinking about the danger of going after Sean. She felt stronger about dealing with him than she had earlier in the day. Confident that they could take on anything as long as they were together. That room frightened her, and Sean terrified her, but he was only one man. 

Her mind wandered as sleep started to sneak up on her. She started to think about Rachel, so close in proximity. She could reach out and touch her. She glanced over at the blonde. She was curled up next to Chloe, eyes closed, arm draped over the girl. Max looked back up at the ceiling, swallowing. 

She imagined what it would have been like to actually dress in front of the girl the other day, instead of just teasing her before the door closed. She was surprised she’d even had the courage to do that. She tried to repress her longing, not being able to imagine a situation where Chloe would be okay with it. 

As she began to fall asleep, she thought about what kind of lights would appear if she kissed Rachel. A smirk formed on her face as she felt a wave of desire run through her. Surprisingly, she felt both the girls next to her shiver as well. Chloe whimpered in her sleep.

When she glanced over, she saw Rachel’s eyes flutter open, looking at her. Max turned on her side to face her, resting her head near Chloe’s shoulder. Wordlessly, Rachel lifted the arm that was laid across the girl. She held her palm up to her, as Max had done when they’d first met. 

Max slowly ran her finger across it’s surface. Their eyes reflecting the soft light between them, as they stared at each other. Max bit her lip, than forced herself to stop.

Rachel closed her eyes, smiling. They both left their hands on Chloe’s stomach, inches from each other, and fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Chloe kept seeing what Nathan had shown her. As she ate breakfast, as she took a shower, as she got dressed. It was on constant replay in her mind. She felt so grateful for her own father. She couldn’t imagine having one like his. No wonder he was so fucked up. She didn’t want Rachel or Max anywhere near that man. 

She glanced over at them joking together as they walked back to the truck. They had just dropped of Rose’s car. Chloe wasn’t too distracted as to not notice the looks they were giving each other. She was trying not to feel jealous, but it was hard. There was something palpable between all of them, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. She pushed away her own emotions and returned to Nathan’s.

She had told them what he had said, before he had disappeared. That his father took the girls to the woods. Rachel wanted to check out near the barn, but Chloe thought that was too close to town. He had shown her flashes of memories, but they weren’t easy to decipher. It was more like she was reading his feelings in those moments. And how they had changed over time. He had begun to embrace his father’s lessons.

She wanted to tell them what it had felt like, but couldn’t put it into words. She envied their abilities, so physical and accessible to them. Hers was so cerebral, it was grating. She was cursed to internalize these emotions, without being able to share them properly. It made her want to sink into herself. 

She was pulled away from her thoughts when the girls got back into the truck. She heard Rachel’s phone ring. The blonde looked at it preoccupied, then sat up straight when she saw who was calling.

“Dad?”

Chloe and Max turned to look at her. She put it on speakerphone so they could hear.

“Rachel?” he spoke, his voice sounding strained. 

“Oh my god, Dad, are you okay? Where have you been?” she asked, gripping the phone tightly.

“I… I don’t know,” he said wearily.

“What do you mean?” 

“I was driving with Sera and we were talking... But then... Is it really July?” he asked unsurely.

“Yes, I haven’t talked to you in three days. Where are you?”

They heard him swear, and then take a deep breath. He cleared his throat, and started talking again, sounding much more composed. 

“I’m at work, at my desk.”

“Is Sera with you?”

“No.”

“Both of you haven’t been answering.” Rachel said.

“Well, now you know how frustrating that can be, huh?” he asked with a dry chuckle, trying to reassure her.

“Dad. You have been missing for three fucking days. Now is not the time.”

He was quiet for a while. Then his voice grew sterner.

“You shouldn’t talk to your father like that.” 

“I’m sorry, I’ve been worried. You were tailing Sean and then-”

“Listen, I am fine. I told you, I don’t want you involved in this. I'm just calling to let you know that I am okay, but I will deal with this.”

Rachel took a breath like she was deciding something, and then said, “I already am involved. I broke into his house last night.”

“You did what?” he yelled angrily.

“Dad, I have proof. And there is a shit ton of evidence in that room.”

“What room?”

Rachel began to slowly tell her father about the night before. She left out Chloe and Max, though, seeming to not want to reveal everything to him. When she had finished, he told her to stop by his office right away. Rachel agreed.

“I can bring you the photos and the key card, I’ve got them with me. Shouldn’t that be enough for a warrant?” she asked.

“Yes. Very good, sweetheart. I will see you soon.”

And then he hung up.

Rachel put the phone back down, breathing a sigh of relief.

Chloe turned the ignition and started to drive. 

“So he just doesn’t remember the last three days? That is highly unusual…” she suggested as they made their way to his work.

“He is probably lying.” Rachel said. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Or it could be some sort of shock.” Max added. “Though he sounded pretty normal for someone in that state…”

“I’ll see what he’s like when we get there. Best if I go in by myself.” 

Chloe saw Rachel kept checking her phone as they drove, like she was willing Sera to call as well.

She pulled the truck into the parking lot of the DA’s office. Rachel grabbed her bag and went inside, leaving her and Max in the car. Max scooted away from the middle of the bench seat, resting her back on the door and facing her.

“What are you dwelling on?” she asked.

Max always could read her moods. Was she really that obvious? Chloe shook her head, not sure which part she should tell her. There were a couple things bothering her. Both were very hard to explain. She went with the easier one.

“Nathan’s memories. This power. All of us having weird supernatural abilities…”

Max gave her a knowing smile, “Last night.”

Chloe laughed, “Yeah, that was crazy. We resurrected a dead kid.”

“Maybe we are all having some sort of shared psychosis.” Max joked.

“Maybe… I just don’t get any of this… I’m glad Rachel’s dad is back, though. One less thing to worry about.”

Max gave a small smirk, “Yeah, things were getting pretty heavy.”

Chloe nodded, “Prescott is bad news. What he put Nathan through… It was fucked up.”

Max gave her a concerned look, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Chloe sighed sadly, “Not really… It was like he was conditioning him to enjoy violence. And it was working…”

“Do you think Rachel’s dad will be able to stop him?”

“I hope so. Because I don’t think we should go near him. Too many warnings from those girls, and now from Nathan. I don’t want to meet that coldness in person. He is dangerous,” Chloe said firmly.

“Do you think Rachel is going to want to stop? She seems pretty determined.”

“You have no idea…” she muttered under her breath.

Chloe started to retreat back into her thoughts, but stopped when she saw Max shift in her seat. 

“What did you just do?”

Max looked flustered, cheeks red, “Nothing…”

“You just used your powers.” Chloe stated.

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it.” Max said trying to change her demeanor.

“That totally unfair. At least try to make it less noticeable next time.”

Max laughed coyly, and then changed the subject, “So 4th of July is coming up…”

“What? You are so random…”

“I’m just saying, it’d be nice to do something normal for the summer. The fireworks on the bay are always really good.”

Chloe could tell she was trying to distract her, and she let her. They chatted about their last 4th together. It was a nice memory, sparklers and skateboards on a summer night. Chloe appreciated what Max was doing, but she still wondered what had made the girl rewind.

Rachel came back to the car before she got a chance to get it out of her. Max scooted over as she climbed back into the seat. They accidentally brushed their arms against each other, causing the truck to light up briefly. They all glanced around to make sure nobody had noticed.

Chloe laughed, “You guys really have to get that under control.”

They gave each other a shy look, and Chloe felt a pummel in her gut. She wished she hadn't said anything.

“How did it go?” she asked Rachel, trying to stifle her feelings.

“Fine. He was busy trying to catch up on work, and wouldn’t answer my questions. But I gave him everything, and he said he was going to deal with it.”

“Did he say anything about Sera?”

“Yes.” Rachel said sadly. “He told me that she’s using again.”

“What?” Chloe said shocked, “No way.”

“I don’t want to believe it either... But it would explain their absence. I don’t know. He wouldn’t talk about the last couple days. Maybe something happened…” Rachel trailed off.

“But what about Sean? Did he say what happened when they were tailing him?” Max asked.

“He alluded that they had lost him. But he seemed weird about it. I don’t know if he is hiding something, or trying to protect me. Or if he genuinely doesn’t remember.” 

She kicked the dashboard in frustration, “It’s so annoying. I’m about to be nineteen, and he still treats me like a kid.”

Chloe thought she was lucky that she still had a father left to treat her like a kid. But she always had this thought whenever anyone she knew complained about their dad. She couldn’t help it.

“He is trying to keep you safe.” Chloe said softly.

Rachel scoffed. “Max can freeze time, and I can summon flames. Sean is just one man. We could take him in a second.” Then added darkly, “But I would rather take my time with it…”

“Woah…” Max said.

“Yeah.” Chloe agreed. 

Max cleared her throat as Chloe started the truck.

“So are we going to listen to him, and stay out of it?”

“For now. But I want to try to find Sera. I don’t care if she is using. She said she wouldn’t leave again. She… she promised,” Rachel said unhappily.

Chloe looked over at her, gripping the wheel, “Well, where should we go?”

___________________________________________________________________

 

When they walked up the beach parking lot, Pompidou rushed them. Max cringed as the brown dog ran towards them. But Rachel bent down, calling his name. He went right to her, wagging his whole body, and wouldn’t leave her alone until she gave him lots of love. He adored her, and always stuck by her side when she visited. As they walked over to the RV, he kept dancing circles around her, tongue flopping out.

Frank was sitting outside in a chair, beer in hand. He looked at Max suspiciously. Rachel rolled her eyes at him. She knew he dealt with shady people, but she wished he wouldn’t be so obvious about his distrust.

“Frank, Max. Max, Frank.” She said introducing them.

“Hello,” he said quietly, nodding at her. “So you guys here to hang out? It’s been awhile.”

They all sat down. Pompidou curled around Rachel’s feet. 

“Just filled up the cooler,” he said, “Want a beer?”

Chloe grabbed one for each of them, and handed them out before they even answered. Rachel agreed, they could all use a drink. And it was summer. And they were at the beach. She turned towards Frank after taking a long sip.

“Frank, I know you don’t like to talk about this stuff,” she started.

He furrowed his brow, growing defensive automatically.

“Chill out, dude, we aren't asking for money…” Chloe joked.

“What is it?” he asked, looking between the two of them.

“Sera.” Rachel said, calling his attention to her. “Has… has she been to see you?” 

Rachel made sure to watch his body language. He was good at hiding it. But when he answered he seemed sincere.

“No, I haven’t see her since Damon…” he said trailing of and retreating into his memories of the past.

Rachel and Chloe raised their eyebrows at each other. This was something Frank only talked to them about once, when he was really drunk.

“So she hasn’t gotten anything from you?”

“No,” he answered, shaking his head.

Rachel didn’t know what to think. Her dad had been weird. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but he seemed distant. She had hugged him and he had winced in pain. And it looked like he had a cut on his forehead.

When she had mentioned Sera to him he had dismissed her quickly. Saying that she was using again as an offshoot excuse, and then swiftly changing the subject. And then there was the other Max’s warning... Something wasn’t right.

She needed a distraction from not being able to figure this out, so she took the joint that Frank was handing her and tried to relax. They passed it around. Rachel laughed, surprised, when Max took it from Chloe. The girl hit it briefly, and ended up coughing until her eyes watered. 

Pompidou got up from Rachel’s feet and went to the girl. He nuzzled her face as she tried to clear her throat. She scratched his ear and he licked her face. She giggled and wrapped her arms around him.

“Wow,” Frank said, “He doesn’t usually take to people that quickly.”

Chloe laughed, “That means Frank trusts you.”

“Oh, well good.” Max said with a goofy smile, still petting the dog. Her eyes were quite red. “He’s really really soft.”

Chloe and Rachel looked at her, then at each other, and burst out with laughter. 

They spent the hot sunny day like the teenagers that they were. The waves of the ocean playing as a soundtrack to their afternoon. Max was being really silly. It was obviously the first time she had gotten high. Rachel and Chloe couldn’t help but find most everything she did hilarious. Frank too seemed charmed by her. But how could he not be? 

Rachel was glad they had come here. They all needed unwinding after the last couple days. She got up and grabbed another beer, handing some around to the others. When she handed it to Max, their fingers brushed against each other.

“What was that?” Frank asked, sitting forward.

“What was what?” Rachel asked casually, returning to her seat.

“Those flashes of light?” he said, pointing at the two of them.

Rachel giggled as Chloe tried to answer nonchalantly, “I don’t know man, I think you are seeing things.”

He laughed and opened his beer, taking a deep swig as he sat back, “Yeah, I must be.”

Frank passed out in his chair after several more beers. The sky had turned pinky orange. It was still quite warm out, so Rachel got up and announced that she was going swimming.

She walked towards the water, tearing of her shirt and shorts and leaving them in the sand. She smiled when she saw Max picking them up and putting them with hers and Chloe’s. She kicked her flip-flops at her, laughing, and then waded into the water first.

The sea sprayed against her, cooling her off and waking her up. She dove headfirst into the waves, and then surfaced farther out. 

She looked towards the shore and watched as Max hesitantly walked into the water. She was easing herself in, waves hitting against her knees. Rachel didn’t know how people could torture themselves like that. Much easier to just go under right away. 

She watched as Chloe snuck up behind the brunette. Max screamed as she swiftly picked her up and ran into the deeper water, jumping into the waves so they both went below the surface. They came up laughing, and Rachel swam towards them. They both splashed her as she approached.

They stayed in the water for a while, joking around with each other and playing in the waves. As the sun started to hover near the horizon, Max got out, saying she wanted to grab her camera. They watched her walk across the sand, stopping to put on her shorts. Rachel admired the way her pink bra looked against her skin, and was glad she'd left the shirt off. 

She went over to Chloe. The girl was floating on her back, looking up at the sky. Rachel poked her flat stomach, briefly pushing her under the water. Chloe sputtered as she stood back up, shaking out her hair. She gave Rachel a devilish look and started moving towards her. Rachel backed away teasingly.

Instead, Chloe dove underwater and came up behind, grabbing her around the waist as she surfaced. Rachel turned around, pressing into her, feeling the girl’s wet skin against her own. She wrapped her arms around her and, as Chloe picked her up underwater, her legs as well. When Chloe slowly ran her hand down her spine, she kissed her. Chloe deepened it and grazed her fingers up her thigh. But then she lost her balance as a big wave hit them, knocking them over.

They laughed, still entangled, as they came back up. Rachel pulled back, standing on her own again. She ran her hand down Chloe’s stomach, feeling the muscles underneath. She loved touching her stomach. The way it responded under her fingers made her smile.

“So, why do you think our abilities don’t activate with each other?” Rachel asked and then added seductively, “We’ve been touching for years.”

Chloe shrugged slyly, “Maybe they do, but we don’t know how yet.”

“Or maybe we need Max to do it.” Rachel joked.

Chloe lowered her eyes, backing away from her touch. Rachel grabbed her hand, and pulled her back towards her.

“Chloe. Look at me. I didn’t mean it like that.” 

She kissed her softly on the cheek, and the girl met her eyes again. Rachel tried to elucidate.

“I felt your energy last night, flowing through her. It was some integral part of you, contemplating and serene… It made me fall in love with you even more.”

“I… I know what you mean. I felt you too.”

Rachel moved closer to the girl, putting her mouth next to her ear and speaking in a low purr, “Oh yeah? And what did I feel like?”

Chloe smirked, wrapping her arms around her and matching her tone, “Like reckless desire.” 

Before Rachel could respond, Chloe covered her lips with her own, silencing her.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Max was giving them some space. Pompidou seemed to know she needed a distraction, because he kept dancing around her, being cute. Frank was still sleeping, so she walked down the beach. She took a photo of the evening sky, silhouettes of the birds flying against it.

The sun was low, reflecting red off of the water. The sand felt good between her toes, so she kept strolling down the beach away from them. She still felt a little fuzzy in her head, but the swim had helped. She looked down and realized the dog was no longer by her side. She glanced back up the shore. He was back by the RV. Chloe and Rachel were still in the water, standing close to each other.

Max turned back around. She bent down and looking through the shells. One of them reminded her of that day with her mom in the kitchen. It felt like such a long time ago. She wondered again where her powers had come from, and why she had them.

As she stood up, what had happened in the truck started intruding on her thoughts. A memory only she had now.

“Do you think Rachel is going to want to stop? She seems pretty determined.” She had asked Chloe.

“You have no idea…” she’d heard her mutter under her breath.

Max had laughed, “You know you are the same way.”

Chloe had glanced at her, chuckling, “Yeah, I guess your right. I did love taking you along on adventures.”

“And I loved going on them.” Max had said smiling.

She had seen that Chloe was gazing at her, and felt a wave of nerves burst. With Rachel, she felt an unyielding attraction, but with Chloe… There was something deeper, something formed over years of friendship. Developing into a profound bond that Max never wanted to lose. 

The girl had seemed to be thinking the same thing, because she’d put her arm around her and pulled her close. Max had rested her head on her shoulder. Slowly, she’d nuzzled her face into Chloe’s neck, breathing in the smell of her skin. She’d felt Chloe shiver against her. Max had felt a thrill at being able to elicit that response from her. She’d tentatively placed her lips softly against her pulse, feeling Chloe’s heart beat increase.

Something had built between them. Max had pulled away, but Chloe had turned her face up to her. She had seen a desire in her eyes, feeling it run down through her own body.

“Max,” she’d said in a whispered sigh.

She’d liked hearing Chloe say her name like that. She’d waited for her to say more, but instead a stirring anticipation had grown amid the silence. She had seen Chloe’s eyes glance down to her lips. Not being able to take anymore of the tension, she’d leaned up and placed them softly against Chloe’s.

Chloe kissed her back, running her tongue gently between her lips. Max had parted them, allowing her entrance. When their tongues had met each other, she’d grabbed her shirt and pulled her closer, exploring the taste of her.

Chloe had pulled away with an intake of breath. Max had gone to close the space between them again, but Chloe had stopped her.

“Wait. I… I can’t. Rachel… and….” She said breathing heavily.

Max had backed away from her, seeing the guilt in her expression. She’d chastised herself for going over the line, and raised her left hand. Chloe had seen what she was about to do.

“Don’t!” she’d said trying to stop her.

But it was too late, Max had rewound, going back to before Chloe would have anything to feel guilty about. 

And now she was the only one who remembered. It made her feel lonely. She kept trying to forget what her skin had felt like under her lips. She took another picture, this time of the sun dipping below the horizon. She kicked the shells into the water, and kept walking.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Chloe sat back down, glancing around her.

“Where’s Max?” she asked.

Frank paused building the fire, “I’m not sure. I just woke up.”

The sun had set, and the stars were starting to appear in its’ absence. Chloe squinted down the beach, looking for her friend. She thought she saw her far in the distance, near the shore.

Rachel was playing with Pompidou and chatting with Frank. He started swearing as he tried to light the fire. Chloe gestured at the kindling and raised her eyebrows at the blonde, who turned away laughing. Instead of revealing herself, she wrestled the Frisbee from the dog, letting him struggle.

Chloe told them she was going to go meet Max. They nodded at her and kept talking, watching Pompidou trot back to them. 

Chloe grabbed Max’s shirt for her and started walking along the water. It looked like she was headed back this way. As the distance closed between them, she could see that the girl looked kind of upset. She jogged the last couple yards. When she had caught up with her she started walking backwards in front of her.

“Hey.” She said, handing Max her shirt, eyeing her skin in the starlight.

“Hey.” Max said, putting it back on. 

“You okay?” she asked, turning to walk with her.

Max gave her a weary smile, “Yeah, just kind of tired.”

Chloe wasn’t sure she believed her, but didn’t press it. As they walked back to the fire, she put her arm around her. Max backed away casually, widening the space between them. She looked at the brunette questioningly, and let it go, trying not to let it bother her.

She made a joke about Frank trying to start the fire as Rachel watched. Max laughed, her tone lightening. It made Chloe proud that she could cheer her up. As they neared the others, she thought about asking Max about the rewind, but it didn’t seem like a good time.

Max went over to the cooler and grabbed another beer. She sat down in front of the fire, embers reflecting in her eyes. Chloe sat down near, and started rolling a joint, occasionally glancing over at her. She lit it and took a deep pull, then offered it to Max. The girl took it from her, managing to hold the smoke in this time and not coughing nearly as much. 

Rachel came up behind her, reaching over her shoulder and grabbing the joint from her hand. She plopped down in the sand next to them, hitting it and staring at the flames. 

Frank went inside the RV, and Chloe took advantage of his absence.

“Hey Rach, have you ever burned yourself?”

Max widened her eyes and asked, “Yeah, can you even burn?”

“I… I don’t know,” Rachel answered, and then impulsively reached her hand into the fire.

They both sat up, concerned. Chloe reached over to pull her back, but Rachel stopped her. She left her hand in the fire, staring at it.

“It’s warm… but I can take it,” she said.

Chloe coughed and pushed her back as Frank came out of the RV. Rachel landed in the sand next to her, laughing giddily. He walked over to them holding a guitar.

“Do any of you know how to play this? A guy who owes me money gave it to me for collateral.”

They looked over at Max as she reached her hands out for it instinctively. Chloe smiled at Rachel, both of them excited to hear her play. As Max started strumming, Chloe sat back, impressed. She laid her back into the sand, and stared up at the night sky, listening. The girl was good, and the music soothed them as the moon rose in the sky.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel borrowed some blankets and pillows from Frank’s RV, making the back of Chloe’s truck all cozy. None of them were fit to drive anywhere. When she was done, she walked back to the fire. Frank had gone to bed and Chloe was still lying down in the sand. Rachel went over to her, shaking her gently to wake her up.

Max laughed as she sat up sleepily, her blue hair sticking up in the back. Rachel let her girlfriend know that the truck was ready. Chloe yawned and clambered to her feet. She smiled and muttered a good night to them both, then tiredly walked away.

Rachel leaned back on her arms and stared over at Max through the flames. She shied away from her glance, and got up to put another log on the fire. Rachel chuckled and then laid back to look at the stars. She was surprised when she felt the girl lay down next to her.

Rachel pointed up to the sky, tracing the stars and telling her about the different constellations. She started talking about the universe constantly expanding and the formations of the stars growing farther apart, changing into something else way in the future.

“You should go into astronomy.” Max said, complimentary. “Work for NASA.”

“Hah, wouldn’t that be cool…” Rachel said sarcastically.

Max glanced over at her, “No, I’m serious.”

She smiled graciously, “Used to everyone telling me I should just become a model.” 

“Well, you could definitely do that as well,” Max said, grinning as she eyed her. “But Chloe said you graduated with a 4.0.”

Rachel nodded, looking back up at the sky.

“And I can tell how damn clever you are.”

“Thanks, Max,” she said, truly appreciating the compliment.

Rachel pointed out her favorite constellation to her. The same one Sera had shown her, Draco the Dragon curling to the north. 

She told Max about meeting her real mother, how she’d found out almost instantly that she was like her. She told her how mesmerizing it had been seeing the shapes that she’d formed in the sky that night, knowing that she wasn’t alone. She started growing quieter as she talked about the relief she’d felt and how badly she wanted to talk to her now. How she could relate with her much more than either of her parents.

Max listened patiently, seeming to know that was all she needed. Not everything could be fixed. Sometimes, you just needed to get it out of your head.

Rachel finished talking, and both the girls gasped as a bright shooting star streaked across the sky. They sat in comfortable silence, waiting for more. Eventually another appeared, bright enough to reflect off the water.

Max looked like she wanted to say something; she kept opening her mouth to start. Rachel kept quiet, waiting patiently. 

The brunette lifted her left hand like she was getting ready to use it. Rachel turned on her side, resting up on her elbow and raised her eyebrows at her questioningly.

Max blushed and then blurted out, “I kissed Chloe, and then rewound it.”

Rachel gave an amused laugh at her confession, surprised. The girl looked relieved at her reaction as she sat up and turned towards her. She too sat up and matched her position, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her knees.

“Did she kiss you back?” she asked, intrigued.

Max answered shyly, “At first…but-”

“She stopped you.” Rachel said, already knowing what had happened. She felt a wave of appreciation over Chloe’s loyalty.

Max nodded, “Are you mad?”

“A little envious maybe, but no, I’m not mad.”

“Why not?”

“Because I know what Chloe and I have. It’s secure.” Rachel shrugged, “I guess jealousy just isn’t my thing.”

“You’re lucky then.” Max said quietly.

Rachel smiled at her, “Why, are you jealous of me?”

“A little,” Max admitted, and then added quietly, “Maybe of you both…”

Rachel wondered if she was being so honest because she planned on erasing this timeline, or maybe she was just a little drunk. She stayed alert to where her hand was. But Max just gazed at her. 

“You are so beautiful…” 

Rachel smirked at her expression, and lowered her eyes. Trying to restrain herself. 

“So are you, Max.” She looked up and shivered jokingly, “Those piercing eyes of yours… sometimes it’s almost too much to take.”

Max laughed, shaking her head, “Thanks, Rachel.” Then she lifted her left hand. 

Rachel reacted instinctively, gripping her wrist and stopping her.

“Don’t you dare.”

Max sighed, and looked down at their hands. Rachel entwined her fingers through hers. They watched the white light flourishing between them. She felt the pressure building inside of her, but she didn’t want to let go. So she turned to her right, raising her other arm.

Around her fingers the blue flame rose. She sent it out in front of them. Feeding it until it grew in size, starting as a long sphere. Four legs grew out of it, reaching down to the sand and turning it dark. She continued to see it in her mind’s eye, and let the rest form. The doe’s head turned towards them. 

Max grinned happily as she made it prance around the beach. She pointed out to Rachel what was happening when the hooves touched the sand. Little drippy pieces of glass were forming into strange shapes.

“Cool…” Max sighed.

Rachel wanted to know what would happen if it went under the water, so she let it trot over to the shore and jump in. Steam started gushing out of the waves. She felt a strange suppression as the blue flames went out.

Max was still staring at the ocean, where the deer had disappeared. Rachel got her attention, drawing her eyes back towards their hands. 

“Practice,” she said, tightening her grip. “Try to put out the light.” 

Max nodded, concentrating. Rachel could feel her trying to extinguish the connection between them. Like she was trying to shut a door against a heavy gale. The glow pulsed briefly, and then shined brighter. 

Rachel exhaled as she felt the force grow. She waited as long as she could, enjoying the sensation. She turned and released it again, shooting a gush of flames straight into the water. It hissed loudly, sending up a thick fog. She looked back at Max.

“Try again.”

___________________________________________________________________

 

Sera watched the display from a distance, smiling. It was beautiful. The blue flames blossoming in the dark and the flashes of white light farther up the beach, illuminating the two girls holding hands in the sand.

“I told you there would be a third.” Pallas said. “She is protected.”

Sera turned away from the girls and looked at her, “I needed to see for myself.”

Pallas spoke serenely, “She is safe. But you are not.”

“I get it, okay? But she is my daughter. I can’t just leave her. Not again.”

“Sean cannot find you. He cannot know what you can do.”

Sera nodded, and stared longingly down the beach. She had promised Rachel, and she didn’t intend on ever breaking that promise.

“I won’t go,” she said finally.

Pallas sighed, shaking her head, exasperated, “Then you will die.”

Sera had decided long ago that some things were more essential to life than just living. 

“So be it.”

Pallas walked away from her, frustrated. Sera remained on the beach, waiting for the woman to disappear. When she was sure she was gone, she let her fear fuel her. Raising her hand, she let a flame blossom in the sky above her, letting it grow into a familiar shape.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Max was still struggling. She could shut it off for a few seconds, but it always came back, usually with more strength. She tried to force it to stop like she did time, but it wasn’t the same.

Rachel had just let her blue flames dance across the water. When she turned back to face her, her eyes shifted and widened. A huge smile crossed her face. She let go of Max’s hand and pulled away. She saw the yellow light extinguish in Rachel’s eyes, but something bright was still reflected there.

The girl got up and started running down the beach. Max turned around, surprised. And then she stood up herself, squinting into the night.

In the distance, across the sky she saw a magnificent flaming dragon flying through the dark. Before it’s fiery light dripped out, she saw Rachel reaching a woman and throwing her arms around her.

Max smiled as she remembered the story Rachel had told. This must be Sera.

She decided to give them some time together. She went and grabbed some more wood, and built the fire back up so it grew brighter. She sat down next to it and waited.

Eventually she heard footsteps coming down the beach. Rachel appeared with a woman behind her. Her hair was lighter, but she looked a lot like Rachel, just older with more tattoos.

Max smiled, standing up to greet her.

“Max, this is my mom, Sera.” Rachel said, grinning, “This is Max, Chloe’s oldest friend, and my newest.”

Sera reached out her hand. Rachel looked reticent as Max hesitantly shook it, neither sure what to expect. But, nothing happened. They smiled at each other, both relieved.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Max said, genuinely.

“Likewise,” Sera responded warmly. “You guys are up late.”

Rachel shrugged, “Yeah, well, you know what it’s like to be a night owl. And Max was keeping me company.”

“I know, I saw.” Sera said turning towards her daughter, “Your flames are blue.”

Rachel laughed, “Yeah... that’s because of Max. There’ve been some interesting developments.”

While Sera surveyed her, Max asked, “Do you know more about this stuff?” 

She saw Sera make an expression that Rachel made when she was trying to give a workaround answer. Max smirked subconsciously at their similarities.

“A little... But not about this,” she said gesturing at the two of them together. 

Max looked down at the sand, trying not to be frustrated. She glanced back up when Sera asked her a question.

“What is it that you can do, Max?” 

She looked over at Rachel, who nodded her head reassuringly. So Max told her. And then showed her. She froze time and walked towards the water. She grabbed a handful of shells and brought them back to the fire. Yawning, she arranged them in a swirl in front of the bonfire, and let time go, now standing in a different spot.

Sera opened her mouth, dumbfounded, “Holy shit.”

She gave an impressed look to her daughter, who in turn looked proud of Max’s display.

“Isn’t she amazing?” Rachel asked.

Max felt her face flush at the girl’s compliment and expression as Sera nodded in agreement. She wondered if Rachel had asked her where she had been yet. She yawned, stretching her arms, deflecting the attention.

“I think I’m going to turn in, actually. Been a long day. I’ll let you guys catch up.”

Rachel looked giddy with contentment. She threw her arms around Max and gave her a hug goodnight. It was the most their skin had ever touched, and they lit up the night. They both had to close their eyes against it.

“Wow,” Sera said, lowering the arm that was blocking her face when they had parted. “What the hell?”

They both laughed. Max said goodnight, and started walking towards the truck. When she glanced behind her she saw their silhouettes sitting together in front of the fire.

When she reached the bed of the truck, she climbed in next to Chloe. The girl shifted sleepily, making room for her. She curled up next to her, under the blankets. Chloe wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, sharing her warmth. Max snuggled her face into the pillow comfortably, glad that Rachel had stopped her from rewinding.


	10. Chapter 10

Rachel was studying her mother, just as she had her father earlier. She was staring out at the water, the firelight illuminating her solemn features. She had questions she wanted to ask, but was content just sitting near her. Calmed by her presence. Sera never lied to her, and she hoped she wouldn’t now. She tried to call her attention.

“Sera?”

She didn’t respond. Just looked lost in thought as she stared out at the dark rolling sea, running her hand through the sand next to her.

“Mom?” she said a little louder.

Sera turned to her, “Hmm?”

“Are you okay?”

She nodded her head, only half reassuringly, “Yeah, sorry, was just thinking.”

Rachel paused, knowing what she had to ask first. She decided to just get it over with.

“So… Dad said you were using again.”

Sera looked up angrily, at full attention, “He said what?” 

She repeated what her father had told her, and then said, “But he wouldn’t tell me anything else.”

Sera threw the handful of sand she had been toying with, and pressed her lips together, shaking her head, “That asshole…”

“So it’s not true?” Rachel said, relieved, wondering what motive her father would have to say this.

“No,” she answered firmly, making direct eye contact.

“Where have you been the last couple days?” Rachel asked, restraining the urge to flood her with questions.

Sera paused, looking reluctant. Finally, she sighed and said, “I was with someone I haven’t seen in a long time.”

Rachel waited, inquisitively, for her to say more.

“Remember when I told you about getting clean? About someone helping me?” Sera asked.

Rachel nodded slowly. Her mother was pretty open to her about her drug use. Never shying away from the questions she asked. Rachel thought it was an admonition of sorts. A warning. Telling her what her life had actually been like. The unglamorous reality of addiction. And it helped. Rachel was preternaturally drawn to getting fucked up. In truth, she loved it. But she was aware of that, and was learning from her mother's mistakes.

“But I never told you about the night I finally decided to change,” Sera began.

___________________________________________________________________

 

2008 December 31

 

People acted weird on New Year’s Eve, it just came with the territory of the night. Sera was no exception. 

A buzz filled the atmosphere of the city as she passed people in the street. Some joyful, some desperate. A spectrum of body languages. She could read each of their emotions, being so detached from her own.

She had picked up after going to the bank. Feeling disgust when she’d handed James’s check to the teller. She’d told herself that it would be the last time. She would never have to cash another.

The past two days had been hellish. Spent lying in bed without the possible escape of sleep. Ticking away the minutes with thoughts of self-resentment. Incrementally stretching her restless legs, and checking the mailbox. Waiting in agitation until she had the money to feel better. He always sent it on the same day each month. She just had to hold out one more time.

After she’d fixed, she decided she couldn’t spend another minute there. Deprived of sleep, but finally feeling the relief of not being dope sick anymore, she grabbed her cigarettes and walked out the door. 

She left her apartment, and strolled down the streets of Portland, chain smoking and thinking about her daughter. She imagined what she was doing tonight for New Years. Fourteen and on the cusp of adulthood. 

Sera hoped she wasn’t getting into the same things she did when she was that age. When she had first realized how people saw her. As some charismatic creature, captivating their attention. But she had just felt hollow. Except when she'd been with Jimmy. He had made her feel whole, until he had ripped her empty…

She headed through downtown, towards Vista Bridge. Wanting to get a final view of the cityscape, full of lives that she couldn’t relate to. When she reached it, she headed across, ignoring the sounds from the traffic below. Focusing instead on the wind whistling through the skyscrapers, making her hair blow around her. She got to the highest point and looked down. This could work.

The city looked beautiful, a slight dusting of snow blustering through the sky. She could hear echoes of celebration, bouncing of the buildings. But she felt removed from it all. She leaned over the side, staring down at the distance. Debating if it was high enough.

She could just shoot the two grams she had left. Sink into the mattress and never come back out. But she didn’t want to go that way, she’d come close before on accident. And didn’t really want to die as she had lived. 

Plus, the old man next door, the one who sometimes checked on her… She didn’t want him to find her like that. And her tolerance was high. She definitely didn’t want to wake up the next day with nothing. 

No. Better to go out with a bang. Happy New Year.

She wished she could call her daughter first, just to hear what her voice sounded like.

She wondered if Rachel had her own cell phone yet. And if she had lots of friends to call from it. She wondered if she had ever felt like she was missing something in her life. Or if she remembered anything of their first year together. She wondered if the bracelet she had given her was still wrapped around her wrist. She wondered… and wondered. And now she would never know. 

She was inundated by all the unanswered questions. All the time she had lost. Fuck, she had wasted so many goddam years! And they had passed so quickly. 

A small voice in her head told her she was about to waste so many more. And ruin somebody’s New Year in the process. Ugh, she wouldn’t think about that. Not wanting to imagine what would actually happen to her. She’d rather fantasize of a fleeting moment of flying. A quick end.

She realized tears were streaming down her face. She wiped them away, surprised that she could even cry with how high she was. She lit another cigarette, and climbed up, sitting on the stone railing with her legs dangling down.

She thought about how she should jump. Should she just slip off, or leap out as far as her legs would take her? A swan dive? As she smoked she felt far away from everything. Like she was looking down on herself from above, soul already leaving body. 

When the filter started to burn, she flicked her cigarette out. She watched as it fell, following its’ progress. Ember still burning visibly through the falling snow. It seemed to take forever to finally reach the bottom.

She stood up, balancing carefully on the edge of the railing. She leaned out, feeling a wave of vertigo. The distance didn’t induce the fear she expected. Her adrenaline suppressed, as an indifferent isolation crept through her mind. She was done with it all.

As she decided to just let herself fall forward, a bottle whizzed by in front of her. Instinctively, she drew her face back from it. Her arms started pin wheeling as she felt herself toppling backwards. She was about to try to leap forward but her left leg was hit out from under her. 

She landed in a heap on her back, braced in a stranger’s arms. As Sera looked up she saw a pair of captivating eyes gazing down at her. Even in her annoyance, they caught her off guard. 

“What the fuck?” she said angrily, shoving the woman away from her.

She didn’t say anything, just waited patiently as Sera raved at her for fucking that up. For ruining the chance that she’d had to escape. 

She slowly stopped her swearing, and bent down with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily. Closing her eyes against the reality crashing upon her. 

A sob escaped before she could cover her mouth. She lost her balance as she started to weep, but the woman caught her again, setting her down on the pavement. She kept her hand on her back, soothingly, as she cried. When Sera had no more tears left, she just sat there staring at the sidewalk, breath hitching ever few moments.

The woman pulled her up, shaking her hand as she stood and said, “I’m Pallas.”

Sera wiped her eyes with her sleeve, feeling the temperature of the night returning to her. She shivered, exhausted. 

“I’m Sera. Thank… thank you,” she said, taking in the woman before her.

She had long red hair that was darker at the roots. Her eyes shown brightly, looking purple in the moonlight. Sera would find out later that they actually were purple. A dark indigo encircling a gradient of lighter blues. When she spoke she had a vaguely European accent that Sera couldn’t place. 

“Do you want to go get a drink?” she asked.

Sera wasn’t sure, all she wanted to do was crawl into bed, so she hesitated.

Pallas pointed over the edge, “Only, I had to throw my bottle of wine.”

Sera lowered her eyes, “Yeah… okay.”

They walked in silence. Sera contemplating, in shock over what she had just done. She felt a wave of relief, followed by the familiar self-reproach. She thought about how close she had come, and it freaked her out. If Pallas hadn't stopped her…

Sera turned to her, “How did you know that would work? Kicking out my leg. I could have fallen forward.”

Pallas shrugged, showed Sera her collar, and bluntly stated, “The same way you burned my coat when you shoved me away.”

She froze, eyes wide. Pallas stopped a few paces on, turning around and studying her. 

Sera had never met anyone else like herself. She kept that part hidden deep inside, conditioned by Jimmy’s abandonment to be ashamed. She wasn’t sure what to say at this pronouncement. 

“What… what do you mean?” she whispered quietly.

“I think you know what I mean,” Pallas answered, calculatingly. “But you have never said it aloud.”

She stared back at her, matching her gaze, debating.

“I did,” Sera told her quietly, “Once.” 

Pallas’s beguiling eyes scanned her, “They ran away scared?”

Sera nodded. Memories flooding of the night she had burned down their apartment, destroying the life they had built together. The look on Jimmy’s face when she had tried to reach for Rachel. The way he had turned his back on her. She could still see her daughter’s eyes peeking over his shoulder as she’d left. Breaking her heart.

Pallas turned away, calling her attention as she started walking again. “Right. Well, let’s keep going. Like I said, I need a drink.”

They continued on their way to a bar. It was surprisingly quiet inside. Sera noticed by the clock, that midnight had come and gone. It was 2009, and she was still alive.

They took a table by the back and ordered drinks. Sera got some cranberry juice, knowing that alcohol would just make her even sleepier. Instead, she felt a pull to the pack in the pocket of her coat. Her emotional collapse on the bridge had been a bit of a buzz kill. She glanced over at the bathroom, and scratched her arm.

“Got it bad, huh?” Pallas asked, taking a sip of her wine.

Sera thought about denying it, telling her she didn’t know what she was talking about. But after what had just happened… what sort of barrier could she possibly have left? So she simply told the truth. 

“Yeah.”

“Go ahead, I won’t stop you.”

She shook her head; she could wait a little longer. The craving floated to the back of her mind, waiting for the impending moment when it took over the forefront. She was still in a bit of a state, but her interest had been peaked. 

Sera took off her coat, and started asking, “So you can-“ 

“-predict the probability of events and people?” Pallas finished for her, and then added with a sheepish look, “Don’t worry, I’ll never finish your sentence again.”

“Wow, so you can see the future?”

Pallas shook her head, “No, I can see the strings. And what could happen if they were pulled." And then added, looking slightly forlorn, "But they can break off into so many different directions.”

Sera spontaneously decided to test her. She tried to pretend to look one way, then picked up the saltshaker and threw it at the woman. She caught it without even flinching.

“Hah, the saltshaker, really?” She said, smiling, putting it back down and blinking, “I think I got some in my eyes.”

“Sorry, there was nothing else on the table…” Sera said with a smirk.

“Did I pass?”

Sera was honest, “I’m not sure yet.”

Pallas scanned her while they drank, “So you have never met someone who was… unusual?” 

“No.” Sera answered truthfully.

“Not even when you were younger? Like when you were a teenager?”

Sera gave her a questioning look, “No. It didn’t start until I was twenty... When I got pregnant.”

Pallas looked surprised, “…Really?”

“Yes. It felt like the moment I conceived, something changed,” Sera said, feeling a strange relief at finally being able to talk about it. She hadn’t realized how badly she’d wanted to.

She thought about how sweet Jimmy had been to her that spring night. And how, as she had fallen asleep in his arms, she’d felt an indescribable joy and a strange warmth that reached out from her center and trickled out to her fingers and toes.

“It’s emotional, and messy. It’s not something I can control.” Sera said. She glanced at the bathroom again, “Except to suppress it.”

Pallas followed her eyes, “Is that why you were on the bridge?”

“I thought you knew stuff,” Sera said, testing, ”You tell me why I was there.” 

“I wouldn’t want to presume anything and offend you.” Pallas said, “That tends to happen a lot…”

“No, it’s okay. I’m curious.” 

And it would be easier than just talking about it. She still felt stunned over her earlier actions. The dead calm of her decision.

“Very well,” Pallas sighed and began, “You’re an addict. Heroin, by the looks, long time use. Ten years or so. Maybe more.” Pallas stopped; making sure Sera was okay with what she was saying.

She nodded for her to continue. 

“It’s New Years, and you are alone and high. But you said you had conceived and been pregnant. But… “ She examined her reaction, “the baby didn’t die… No, the one who you told, the one who ran from you… it was your man, right? He took the child, and you didn’t follow him.” Pallas paused, and added quietly, “And you hate yourself for it.”

Sera cringed at its’ accuracy. She reached down behind the chair and into her coat pocket. She got up and excused herself, and went into the bathroom. Locking the door behind her. She splashed water on her face and looked in the mirror. She took out the pack from her clenched hand.

When she came back to the table she felt better. She sat down and actually managed a smile to reassure Pallas.

“That was right on.” She said taking a drink from her straw and trying to keep her eyes open.

“Did you have a boy or a girl?”

“A girl.”

Pallas gave her a wide smile when she heard her answer, “So, she’s an only child, correct?”

“Yes. At least I think so…” She had never considered the possibility of Jimmy having more kids. Of Rachel having siblings.

“Are you an only child?”

“No. I had an older brother. But we were never that close. Is that important for some reason?”

“No... just different,” she answered, thinking. 

She didn’t elaborate further so Sera asked, “Have you ever met any others?”

“Yes…when I was younger…” she answered in a glum voice, lowering her eyes and raising her guard. 

Sera could tell this was not something she wanted to discuss. So she trailed her eyes across the room and focused on the men sitting at the bar, sipping her cranberry juice until it was gone. She turned back to Pallas with a smirk, deciding she needed further distraction.

“If I were to go over there, which one of those guys would buy me a drink and let me walk back over here without following?”

Pallas smiled, “Balding under ball cap guy. Definitely. He’s married. But he will be the second to ask to buy you a drink. The first one you should turn down gently, he will come from the pack,” she said as she gestured over to the guys in the corner.

Sera walked over to the bar, and casually leaned against it. A short guy with a trimmed beard came up to her. He looked harmless. He had on a plaid button up shirt.

“Can I get you a drink?” he asked, voice more aggressive than she expected.

“No, thank you,” she answered with a kind smile.

He leaned in close to her, she could smell the beer wafting off of him, “I’ve got a hundred in my pocket, want to go to the bathroom, and you can reach in and grab it for me?”

Ugh. 

“Definitely not.” she answered, trying not to look too disgusted. What about her screamed whore?

“Whatever,” he said grumpily, and walked back to his friends who were giving him grief over her refusal.

She waited a few more moments, turning around, elbows on the bar as she leaned back against it, relaxed. Ball cap came up to her, buying her a drink without even asking. She thanked him and walked back to the table, sitting back down with Pallas. She was right, he just stayed at the bar, looking forlornly down at his wedding ring.

“That didn’t take long.” Pallas said with a smirk.

Sera joked giving her a swaggering grin, “It never does…”

She felt good, less alone. The isolation that had been pressing in on her earlier had seemed to dissipate. Perspective renewed, and awakened to the possibility of a different future. But she was still really tired. And emotionally spent. The lack of sleep was catching up on her. She yawned. Pallas noticed. 

She gave Sera her number, and then told her to go home and get some rest. She got up and left the table. When the gorgeous woman walked through to the door, all the men’s heads turned. The bearded guy attempted to approach her. She stopped, looked him up and down, silently shook her head and then walked out of the bar. All his friends laughed at him.

Sera left out the back and made her way home. Enough snow had fallen to collect on the sidewalk. As she walked through the white, she thought about the footprints she was leaving behind. Each one imprinting an existence that might not have been.

___________________________________________________________________

 

“I didn’t stop using right away. But it was the first time, in a long time, that I had hope over life.”

Rachel listened intently. Hearing her mother speak about how close she had come to suicide chilled her. She could empathize a little too much with that impulsive nature of wanting an escape. She was grateful to the woman who had knocked Sera off the edge.

“So why didn’t you call me that night like you wanted to?” Rachel couldn’t help but ask.

Sera let out an exasperated chuckle, “Rachel, I was a mess of a human being… I needed to get clean, get my life together first. I was drowning in victimization.”

As she tried to understand, her mother kept speaking.

“But I did call the house later that week..." she said smiling at the memory, "and heard your voice on the answering machine. I was so happy. Just hearing you speak. It solidified my convictions. But I wasn’t sure how your father would act; I knew I needed to do everything through the proper channels, him being a lawyer. Pallas warned me if I came back wrong, I would implode your life. I would send you down the same path I had gone down.”

Rachel thought back to that year, when she had found out her father had lied for so long. How hurt and lost she’d felt that first night. How she’d crawled inside herself and curled up on the bed. Chloe had been there though, to lead her out. With a flashlight and a night light globe of all things. But really, it had just been her.

She felt a rush of gratitude for her girlfriend. If she hadn't been there, where would she be now? Her dad would have succeeded with his plan. And Chloe wouldn’t have told her everything, as she lay in the hospital bed with a stab wound from the same guy her father had hired. She was still angry over that.

She imagined how much worse it would have been if Sera had just disappeared. If she had never gotten to meet her that day by the lighthouse.

“I guess you're right. My life did kind of start to implode. But you stayed, and helped put it back together,” she said, scooting over so she could give her mother a hug.

Sera squeezed her back with one arm, balancing in the sand with the other for them both. She pushed her hair lovingly over her shoulder. After they broke apart, they both yawned in unison. The bonfire had died down low. But Rachel needed to know one more thing before she went to bed.

“So, you were tailing Sean, who, I can fill you in on, is definitely a serial killer. Did you just run into Pallas by coincidence?”

Sera shook her head, “Nothing with Pallas is coincidence...”

“So what is she doing here?”

Sera furrowed her brow but didn’t answer. Instead, she gave her a deflective shrug and asked her about Chloe. 

Rachel didn’t press, enticed over the different subject, “That’s a whole other thing… remember those dreams Chloe has?”

She told her mother about Chloe’s blossoming abilities in relation to Max. Telling her about what had happened at the Prescott house.

“You saw Nathan, in front of you? And it was actually him?” Sera asked in disbelief.

“Yes. He… told us about the woods.”

Sera’s eyes sharpened at the mention of her final word. She looked like she wanted to say more, but Rachel made the mistake of yawning again. Instead, Sera smiled at her and stood up.

“You should get some sleep. I’m going to keep walking for a while. Head back along the beach.” She said, pointing behind her.

“Okay,” Rachel said, getting up with her help, resisting the urge to tell her own mother to be careful. She gave her another hug goodnight before saying, “I’m really glad you didn’t leave.” 

Rachel started backing away towards the parking lot, when Sera spoke quietly, “I promised.”

She stopped and looked at her mother, “I remember.”

“Sleep well.” Sera said, and then turned and left her, disappearing into the dark.

___________________________________________________________________

 

“Ugh… the sun… it’s so fucking bright.”

“Shush, Chloe…” 

“I can’t, it’s piercing through my eyes.”

“Use a pillow.”

“Max, please rewind? Make it go back down?” 

“Are you serious?”

“Mhmm, more sleep is needed…”

“Uhh, why are you guys awake?” 

“The sun!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll do it.”

“Yay.”

“Grab on.” 

“Already am.” 

“Rachel? Awh, she fell back asleep. Rachel. Wake back up.”

“Hmm?”

“Grab my hand real quick.”

The sun shifted back eastward, going under the horizon and disappearing from the sky. Darkness returned, and the stars came back out. 

“Now let go of Rachel, will you? You guys are worse than the sun.”

When Max woke up next, the morning was just dawning. Again. She stretched, glancing at the two girls on either side of her. Carefully, she got out of the truck, not wanting to wake them.

It was already hot outside, despite how early it was. The ocean was more ferocious today, throwing out walls of water that crashed against the shore in a thick spray.

Max thought about the night before, how the doe had leapt across the beach, splashed into the waves and vaporized. She made a note to go collect the strange glass shapes it had made in the sand. Remembering the smell of jasmine wafting as she had leaned in to point them out to Rachel.

She felt a warmth crawl through her, exacerbated by the heat of the morning. She walked over to the ocean. A morning swim would be a nice way to wake up. Especially with those waves.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel felt the space empty behind her. She turned over and stretched out her arms widely, purposefully hitting her girlfriend with her hand, who grunted at her drowsily.

“Chloe,” Rachel yawned.

The girl could sleep in forever. She had to wake her up most mornings, or else she would just keep sleeping late into the afternoon.

She scooted next to her, “Wake up.”

“No…it’s too early,” she said rolling away from her and briefly squinting her eyes open, “The sky isn’t blue enough yet.”

“Come on you’ve already gotten extra hours from Max.”

But Chloe kept up her slumber, covering her face with her arm.

Rachel sat up, grabbing the water bottle behind her and taking a sip, momentarily considering pouring it on Chloe’s head. Then she thought of something better, as she saw Max getting into the water to swim.

She leaned in next to Chloe’s ear and whispered, “Max kissed you yesterday and then rewound it.”

Chloe lifted her head up and peered over her arm, questioningly. And then collapsed back onto the pillow, closing her eyes again, “Yeah, right.”

Rachel gave up, and got out of the truck. Grabbing some stuff out of the front to wash up, she walked towards the water. The waves were huge, and the wind whipped her hair around her head. But it was a warm wind, hot even, as the humidity of the day started to rise. She took off her shirt, bra contrasting with her tan skin, as she moved towards the ocean. The heavy gusts of heat started combining with the spray of the sea, hitting her body and making her smile. 

As she watched the tides, she wished she had a surfboard. She saw with concern that Max was a little too far out, playing in the biggest of waves. The small girl went under, swept beneath a crash of water, but came back out laughing. She seemed to be shifting out of the water, appearing farther up than a wave could take her. Rachel liked seeing her having so much fun. 

Max looked back, saw her watching from the beach, and beckoned her into the water. Rachel started walking out, diving in when it was deep enough. She started up the sandbar, where the water reached just under her waist. Max offered her hand.

“You have to see this.”

She froze time as Rachel took it. The wave in front of them grew still, turning into a mountain peak. Max slowly stepped out of the water, like stepping up a sand pile. Rachel felt how the substance had changed. It was like it had become viscous, solid but not solid. The atoms stilled, but with space between them to be altered. Max helped to pull her out and lead her along the surface, having to move quickly less their feet started to sink back in. 

When they reached the crest of the wave she let go of Rachel’s hand. 

She felt the water beneath her feet start moving. For a second, she was standing on the back of the wave trying to keep her balance, and then she went under, swimming with the force of the current.

They both surfaced close to shore. Rachel laughed at the glee on Max’s face. Amazed, she went over to her, reaching out her hand, wanting to do it again.

They stopped when the morning joggers started making their way out onto the beach. They tried to act casual, careful not to touch as they washed up. Letting the ocean rinse them off as they commiserated over how hard it was to wake Chloe.

They went back to the truck with an idea, smiling and full of energy. Both jumped in the back and stood over Chloe, still soaking wet. As the water dripped off of them and onto her, she groaned. Turning onto her back and stretching out as she raised her hand to stop the droplets from hitting her face.

“Heyy… you’re getting the blankets all wet.” 

She sat up, looking up at them sleepily. Max jumped down and grabbed some towels. As Chloe started to lie back down Rachel shook out her hair.

“Okay, okay, I’m up.” Chloe said, stumbling out of the truck to get out of the way of the water.

They laughed as Max handed Rachel a towel. She wrapped it around her, climbed down, and went over to give her girlfriend a kiss good morning. 

“You just missed out on something really cool.”

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Chloe saw what a good mood they were both in and tried to draw from it. She needed a distraction. 

When Max had rewound earlier she had felt the familiar clouding of her vision. But when she’d let go, it’d cleared, Max and Rachel’s light piercing through. She had fallen back to sleep. And had slipped into a vivid nightmare. 

It continued to play over and over in her head, even as they told her about freezing the sea and climbing out of it.

“Hey, Chloe, can you hear me?” Max said while Rachel waved a hand in her front of her face.

She was pulled back into the present, “Yeah. Sorry. Bad dream.”

Max looked guilty, “From that rewind? Shoot, I didn’t think about that Chloe, sorry.”

“Come on, don’t be silly, I asked for it.” She smiled, “God, if I had your power, I would sleep for decades.”

They both laughed knowingly. 

“Besides, we don’t know if that’s how it works. I think the dreams are more random.” Chloe said, thinking, “Or someone reaching out…” 

“What was it about?” Rachel asked.

“The woods...” she said somberly, “I’ll probably be dreaming of that place for a while though,” thinking of Nathan’s memories.

“Did you see your dad?” Max asked.

“No…” Chloe trailed off, as her dream started to march through her mind again. She stared off at the ground, hair flipped forward, rubbing her neck.

Rachel stepped close, running her fingers through Chloe’s bangs so she could see into her eyes and said, “Tell us about it. Get it out of your head. It will help.” 

Max was nodding in agreement, so she told them what she was seeing.

She was in a white modern space. Crowds of faceless people around her. She pushed through, trying to reach what they were all pointed towards. As she cleared them, making it to the front, she saw a large painting on the wall. 

It was the same one from Prescott’s office, but at night. The oil paint velvety on the canvas, a mixture of black, browns and greens. Without sunlight, the forest looked dark and ominous. 

As the painting started to move, branches waving in the wind, the crowd oohed and aahed collectively. The sound seemed to radiate from them, as they didn’t have mouths. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

Behind one of the trees, a silhouette of a figure peeked out. A viperous energy radiated through Chloe has it appeared. Familiar.

The people around her started to press forward. Crowding the exhibit, all trying to get a look. She fought to escape the push of their bodies, but couldn’t. She tried to plant her feet, but they slid across the white floor from the pressure of the crowd. As she neared closer and closer to the painting, she saw the limbs of the trees starting to reach out for her.

Suddenly, instead of human arms wrapped around her there were branches, old and warped. They gripped and pulled, yanking her towards the painting. She tried to break away, but they were too strong. 

She fell forward through the frame, and the white room disappeared. She shivered as she looked around her, trying to get used to the dark silence of the woods. It pressed in all sides, suffocating her with stillness.

She felt some force reaching out to her. It seemed irritated at having to. She felt an unpleasant nostalgia. But no one showed. She glanced behind the trees near her, searching for the hidden silhouette she had seen in the painting.

But she was alone. And she had stayed that way until she had woken.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

“It was fucked up, I had to sit there in the woods. Waiting. It was just as annoying as it was spooky.” Chloe rolled her shoulders, “…a never ending forest.”

“So you can’t wake yourself up from them?” Rachel asked, concerned. It freaked her out that Chloe could get stuck in her subconscious like that.

“Well that was the first time I had really tried, but no, I couldn’t.”

Rachel turned and told Max about when she had tried to wake her up during the dream of the pool. How her eyes had turned into storms. How she’d slapped and shook her, and nothing had worked.

“Maybe someone was trying to tell you something.” Max said.

Chloe’s mood improved as they discussed what her dream could have meant. Rachel watched Max’s body language as she talked to her. It seemed like she had a barrier up, and was being careful not to get to close. She kept giving Rachel sideward glances, seemingly aware of her watching. 

She smiled and thought about the girl’s confession, and how Chloe hadn’t believed her. She decided to keep this knowledge to herself, and let the girls work it out in time on their own. It’s not like she was exactly sure what she wanted to happen…

She felt an undeniable connection to Max, which is why she wasn’t more pissed that she’d kissed her girlfriend. That, and the fact that she had been totally honest with her.

She glanced over at the RV, thinking back to the drunken night her and Chloe had spent there a few months ago. She just had flashes of memory leftover through the intoxication. She definitely remembered being the star of the show… Frank in a state of ecstasy at his inclusion. Chloe and her laughing at his eagerness. But the next morning had been a bit strange. 

She didn’t think there was any way not to get emotions caught up with sex. Her and Chloe had discussed it later, admitting that it had probably been a mistake. Despite her preference for girls, Frank had been crushing on her for a long while. It wasn’t fair for them to exploit that. 

She stared past the RV, down the beach, to the fire pit. The complications of three pushed from her brain as she suddenly remembered.

“Oh my god, Chloe, I forgot to tell you. Guess who came strolling down the beach last night?”

Rachel told them about Sera’s return, keeping out most of the details from her story. Some things were meant to be confident. She tried to explain Pallas to them, but as she didn’t know much about her, she struggled. Max seemed completely fascinated by her. But Chloe was more concerned for Sera.

“Why did your dad say she was using if she wasn’t?” Chloe asked, “That must’ve pissed her off.”

“Yeah, she wasn’t happy,” Rachel said. 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Sera was way more than unhappy. She was furious. Would she be cursed forever by people using her addiction against her? Would it be the reason everyone would point to when she had a bad day? Why the hell had James told their daughter that? 

After their discussion when they were following Sean, her view of him had started to change. He had finally apologized sincerely. Now the façade crashed back down. Fuck him.

Pallas had said that he was fine. Back at work, like nothing had happened. Did he even look for her? Did he even care? Seemed like he had turned tail and ran away home the second real danger arose. 

She thought through the haze of the last couple of days, back to his look of concern when she had felt the sharp sting in her neck. She couldn’t believe Pallas had pulled the same shit that he had. It was like some fucked up karmic retribution. Injecting her against her will. Betrayed by someone she had trusted. Again.

And then she wouldn’t answer her questions. Sera wasn’t even sure how long she had kept her drugged. She’d woken up hungry and weak, with Pallas shaking her shoulder. The woman had stood up and taken her infuriated reaction in a defensive silence. Telling her she’d had to stop her. That Sera would have died if they’d continued down that road, into the woods. 

She was acting way more distant than she remembered. 

They used to be pretty honest with each other. Sera had spilled everything, relieved at finally having a confidant to relay all this shit to. Brain hyper aware from her newfound sobriety. Like armor peeled away to reveal fresh pink skin below, sensitive and susceptible after so many years. Her emotions were always just under the surface. And though that had included hope and joy, it also included the others. Hurt, hate, loss. So she had talked, and Pallas had listened. 

She had been a good person to get advice from, even if it could sometimes be a bit harsh.

Pallas had only grown aloof when Sera would ask about her past. There was some wound back there that hadn't healed properly. And whenever she had gotten close to mentioning it, Pallas would either lash out or shut down. 

Sera understood. They both had their issues.

But this was different. Now the woman was in her town. Where her life was, where her daughter was. And fucking drugging her? She tried to concentrate on her breathing.

Since Sera had seen Rachel, known that she was okay, her worry had abated. Now she was just pissed. She'd gone to bed mad, and woken up mad. How dare James tell Rachel she was using?

She tapped her foot impatiently as the elevator doors opened, and stormed into his office. Mouth open to start a tirade, she froze when she saw him. Her anger evaporated with concern. 

He was sitting behind his desk, eyes glazed over, staring at nothing. A small scar on his forehead. When he looked up and saw her standing there, his face broke into a smile. Thrown off track by its’ genuineness, she uncrossed her arms and just looked at him. 

This wasn’t the same monster she had built up in her mind on the way over here. Just a man, who she had once loved, who’d hurt her so badly that she’d closed herself off to ever feeling again. But hadn't he said that she’d done the same to him? 

“Sera, you're okay,” he said with obvious relief, still grinning slightly.

“Yeah…” she said, taking in his appearance, “What happened?”

His smile vanished, “You disappeared? With that woman. And then…” he trailed off, eyes glazing over again. His mouth pressed shut.

“Jimmy?”

He tried to talk, but his words died in his throat. He gave a frustrated sigh and threw up his hands in exasperation. Then his demeanor shifted to a resigned coldness as he shook his head.

She just watched him, suspicious, thrown off by his shifting expressions. Suddenly he stood up from the desk.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said, starting to panic. Coming around the desk and starting to push her out of the room, “You need to leave right now.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” she said as he started to shuffle her out of the office.

She allowed him to lead her out to the elevators, as his eyes darted around. She was about to ask him again, when the doors dinged open. He cleared his throat and spoke loudly.

“I can’t give you any more money, Sera. You got yourself into it, you get yourself out,” he said firmly, pushing her through the doors.

As she stumbled in, more surprised than anything, she passed a man coming out. She cast her eyes downward when she saw who it was. Sean surveyed the scene before him. As she saw the desperate look James gave her, she decided reservedly to go along with it.

“Fine. I won’t ask you again.” She said, feigning irritation. 

As the doors closed, James gave her a nod and than turned away. The elevator dropped to the first floor, as she tried to assess what kind of danger he was in. She understood he was trying to protect her, as Pallas had, by any means necessary. 

And was getting really fucking sick of it.


	11. Chapter 11

Sean watched as the junky left the office. She was inconsequential. Just a thorn from James’s past, the biological mother of his forthcoming conquest. He said she was barely in the girl’s life, volunteering his spite for her without his command. He hadn’t asked anything else, dismissing her. He could only control so many people.

He felt more alive than he had in years. He was going to take his time with this; he had plenty of energy stocked up. Nathan’s little friend had been an extra bonus. Seems he didn’t need Jefferson after all.

And he would get so much more, he thought, smiling. He liked the idea of being able to summon flames. That would be fun.

He remembered how it had felt, taking everything from Beverly. How he had followed them as Mark had led her to that empty room. She had looked so beautiful lying there. He watched as the young photographer took his pictures, and then had waited for him to leave her. 

He’d walked into the room and shut the door. He wouldn’t let her belong to anyone else.

Her eyes had opened when he had put his hands around her neck. Her long blonde curls tangling in his fingers. He could still see the look on her face when she’d realized whom they were attached to. She had been drugged. And hadn't been able to stop him with her words.

His mind crawled back to the present as he followed James back to his office. 

“Has your daughter been here today?” he forced him to answer.

“No.”

Good. She hadn't brought him anything else. Hopefully, she had nothing else to bring.

He had caught a glimpse of the girl yesterday. Eyes following her progress as she had made her way from the elevator. Watching her hair glinting under the lights as she’d carried her bag into her father’s office. The various shades of caramel and blonde bouncing together. It would make a lovely braid. 

He had snuck up to the door and listened to her voice as she had questioned her father. Backing away when he’d heard their conversation ending. He had turned his back, smelling a whiff of jasmine as she’d passed behind him unaware. He had felt an ache in his hands. She was perfect. A dangerous beauty.

He’d gone back in to James after she had left, taking everything that she’d given him. And had made him forget. 

The keycard wasn’t a surprise, the girl had told him about it. It had been Nathan’s. He wondered what he had planned to do with it. And just how he had managed to make a copy. Oh well, it didn’t matter now.

When he had returned to his empty home, he’d walked into his office. He had seen with aggravation that the light switch was crooked. Had the girl left it like that? Or had that bitch Pallas been meddling?

He had opened up the floor, entered the room and sat down in his corner, staying there most of the night. He’d tried to soak up the memories before he had to destroy it all.

After he’d burned everything else, he’d stood over the flames, running Beverly’s braid through his hands. He had gotten rid of the picture Jefferson had taken of them. He didn’t need it; he could still close his eyes and see hers, the lightest of brown, looking up at him. But he hadn't been able to let go of this final piece of her.

It was still in his pocket. He’d decided to keep it with him until he could replace it. For inspiration. He fingered it slowly as he used the power that he had stolen from its owner.

“Do you know where she is?” Sean demanded.

“No.” James complied.

He figured this. He couldn’t control every aspect of the man, so he knew he would try to shield her in the only way he could. Through distance. There was no point. He liked the challenge. But he still had to make sure no one else could discover him.

He’d had to deal with the law before, and in the past it had been pretty easy. As long as there wasn’t a trail of evidence leading back to him, he would be fine. He just had to be careful. 

He wanted to do his hunting in peace. 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Sera carefully waited outside for him to leave. When she saw his car drive away she went back in, up the elevator, to James’s office. Lowering her head in embarrassment, when his secretary gave her a suspicious look. 

It was a look she was used to, even though it had been awhile since she’d seen it.

“Okay, so what the fuck?” she said as she walked back in to him.

He looked up from his computer, and gave her the exact same smile he had earlier.

“Sera, you're okay,” he said with obvious relief.

“What?” she said, eyeing his expression, “Yeah… I was just in here.”

“You were?”

“Do you not remember that?”

“Remember what?”

“Me coming in here? You kicking me out? Pushing me into the elevator as Sean came through? You claiming that I wanted money from you, loud enough for the whole fucking office to hear?” 

He looked confused, “I did? But…” 

He scratched his head, frustration rolling across his shoulders. He appeared to be trying to remember. Sera gave him a minute to concentrate before speaking again.

“Do you remember telling Rachel that I was using again?”

He looked up, a hopeful recognition in his eyes, “I did. I…” he paused, considering, “There is an inkling of something when I think of that. He… he didn’t force that…”

“What? What are you talking about?” she said, concern growing.

“I don’t know!” he said, gripping his hair in his hands, elbows on the desk. “I feel like I am going fucking insane!”

She paused as he freaked out, sitting down in the chair opposite him, “Calm down, you're okay. Take a deep breath.”

He started breathing in frantic lung fills as he leaned back in his chair. 

“Okay, well don’t hyperventilate,” she said teasingly, trying to make him smile.

She didn’t get one, but he did stop looking as hysterical. He smoothed his hair back, and cleared his throat. Suddenly self-conscious in front of her. And then he looked around him, worried again.

“Wow. You're all over the place, aren't you?” she asked.

He got up to panic and push her out of the office again. She shut the door firmly as he tried to open it. What the hell had happened to him?

“Stop,” she said and then pushed him back towards his desk. “Jimmy, listen. We have already done this. Sean has already been here. Do you understand what I am saying?”

His face made a slack glazed over look, as he tried to think. He sat back down, dejected and frightened, “He… he took it.”

“Took what?” she asked, even though she already suspected, “You’re memory?”

As he nodded, she thought back to what Pallas hadn't said, reading between the lines. Seems like Arcadia Bay was a hotspot for unusual activity. Well, this changed things… She needed to find the woman. She would make her talk if she had to, though she hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

She tried to reassure him, to help him understand. But was careful not to say too much. She wasn’t sure what Sean had actually done to him.

“I’m going to leave. I need to look for someone. You… you keep working,” she said, not sure what else she could do for him now. 

As she headed back to her car, she considered the difficulty of finding Pallas if she didn’t want to be found. 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Max heard the loud bang of a firework going off in the distance. People were celebrating early. The warm air drifted in through her open window, the smell of summer carried with it. She closed her eyes, nostalgic over the memories it brought. 

This was the perfect town for the fourth. A mixture of locals and summer residents coalescing for the parade, and then again later for the fireworks. All elated by the holiday; it was the epitome of the American summer. 

Max was going through her photos, sorting her camera bag. She wanted to make sure that she had enough film for the day. She grabbed the one Chloe had taken before she had lost consciousness. Still unnerving. She put it with the one from the day her powers had spontaneously arrived. She had trouble looking at them without feeling super creeped out. Picking up the ones she did like, she got up and pinned them to the wall with the others.

She stared up at another photo. This one of Fernando, Kristen, and her on the Fremont Troll, laughing and being silly. It had been a fun day. As she noticed the happy expression on her face, something started to happen. 

She felt a strange pull towards the photo, her left hand tingling. She smelled the beginnings of blood in her nose. She stared at it as she started to hear the sounds of the city, and the noise of traffic on a bridge above her. The air around her started to chew itself apart, reshaping itself. 

Panicking, she forced herself to fall backwards onto the futon, dragging her eyes away from the photo. Keeping her head down to the ground, she tried to catch her breath. What the hell was that…? She could still hear their laughter from that afternoon echoing, peeking behind the reality of her room. She called her mind back to today. 

It’s July 4th, 2013. In Arcadia Bay. Everything was okay. She had been getting ready to leave. She would just go sooner. Get away from those pictures.

She got up, making sure to keep her eyes averted from the wall, even as they wanted to go back there. Part of her was curious, but she was also terrified. She had almost fallen into the past. She grabbed her stuff, and inched out of her door, back turned from the photos. 

She called Rachel as she headed out the door, knowing Chloe was at the garage still, making up for lost hours. 

“Hey, I’m leaving my dorm.”

“Good, it sucks here, I was going to leave soon anyway. So, parade?”

“Yeah, I’m headed that way now.”

“You okay? Your voice sounds a little shaky?”

“Something weird happened... “ Max hesitated, “But I will tell you guys about it when I see you.”

“Okay. Chloe’s still at work, but there’s a party tonight?” she said, phrasing it as a question. “Should be a good place for the fireworks, and for you take some pictures?”

Max had brought her camera with her, of course, despite what had just occurred. She would just avoid taking any pictures of herself. 

In truth, she was a little more intimidated by the party.

She hid that from her voice, “Cool, that will be fun.”

“So, do you want a ride?”

She didn’t want to wait on campus any longer, she already saw David eyeing her as she talked. What was he doing working here on a holiday anyway? She kept moving. 

“No, I’ll take the bus downtown, meet you at Two Whales?”

“Alright, see you soon.”

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel hung up the phone and left her bedroom. It was weird staying here now. And it wasn’t just not having Chloe by her side. The house felt like it wasn’t hers anymore. 

She went downstairs and asked to borrow the car from Rose. After her mom made her promise not to drink and drive, she gave her the keys. She said goodbye and left the house. Her father was coming up the walk as she shut the door.

“Hi, Dad,” she said, blocking his path.

“Hello,” he answered, avoiding her eyes.

“Are you going to tell me now?”

“No.” he said, awkwardly.

“Fine. Have a nice night,” she said dismissively, walking past him.

He went inside the house, head down and silent. 

Yeah, she wasn’t coming back here tonight. She didn’t care where she stayed but it wasn’t going to be here. Her father would barely even talk to her. She had tried last night to find out about the warrant, but he had acted standoffish, almost like he didn’t know what she was talking about. He kept saying he was dealing with it. Whatever that meant… She had heard him awake downstairs most of the night, staying up even later than she did. So with that and the tenuous strain between her parents, it was just uncomfortable being there.

She drove downtown. Realizing that the parade had most of the streets blocked off, she ended up having to park far away. As she started to walk towards the bay, she got her phone out and texted Sera.

‘Why is Dad being so fucking weird?’

She didn’t get a response until she had almost reached the diner.

‘I know. I saw him yesterday.’

Well that wasn’t an answer to her question, ‘Any ideas?’

‘Maybe. But please don’t worry about it now. Just have fun tonight. Be careful.’

Sera wasn’t going to tell her anything more. At least not over the phone. Perturbed, she put it back in her pocket, looking around for Max. But she wasn’t in sight; she must’ve made it here first. Cutting through the crowds lining either side of the street, she went through the door of Two Whales. It was ridiculously crowded inside. No wonder they stayed open.

She caught Joyce’s eye across the room and waved, making a sympathetic expression as she gestured to how busy it was. Joyce smiled, wiped her brow jokingly, and then pressed her fingers together to signify money. Rachel laughed and then went back outside. Walking over to the parking lot and watching the festivities, she only had to wait a little while.

The brunette smiled at her as she strolled up. She was wearing one of the summer dresses Rachel had given her and she looked good, their time at the beach had brought out more of her freckles. She told her how much it suited her, and how she could never get Chloe in a dress. 

It was so hot out, though, it was almost necessary. The air was heavy with the sun, the grass already growing yellow from the rainless summer. Rachel had on one of her favorites; it accented the colors of her eyes, black with patterns of blue, green, and yellow. She had her bathing suit on underneath, and saw that Max did too. 

As they talked, she wondered if she was also still thinking about playing on those waves again. It had been so awesome, stumbling with the girl across the surface of the water. Balance improving the more they had done it. When she froze time, Rachel could withstand her touch for longer, and Max could use her ability without the effort and nosebleeds. She started to imagine what else they could do with their combined powers.

Max got out her camera. She appeared to be taking pictures of the parade, but as Rachel watched she saw she was actually photographing the crowd. Picking out people in a pensive moment, framed in unabashed honesty. Rachel held the Polaroids for her as they dried, resisting the urge to shake them. Max said you weren’t supposed to.

As the parade passed, a group of guys came up to them. Rachel was used to it, but Max looked a little thrown off by their flirtatious attitude. Sensing this, she sent them on their way with a smile goodbye. The others all left, on to their next destination, but one persistent guy stayed behind. Asking her what they were doing for the night, hitting on her heavily. She wasn’t exactly stopping him. Sometimes the banter could be fun. But he didn’t seem like the type who would leave once it started. 

She wished Chloe were here. The punk would just throw her arm around her, kiss her cheek, and casually introduce herself to him. And that would be that. Usually. It’s not like she could even pretend with Max, they would light up the parking lot if they touched. 

So she was surprised when she felt the girl’s hand sneaking into her own. And even more surprised when time stopped around her. The guy’s face froze, mouth open sideways, stuck in the middle of his rambling sentence.

She turned towards the girl, questioning.

“Just trust me okay? It will be good.”

Rachel nodded her head in agreement. Max led her over to the other side of a car, hidden from sight. She got her camera ready stealthily, framed in on him, and let time resume.

Rachel stifled a laugh as she peeked over at the look on his face. He glanced around him, flabbergasted over their disappearance. Then he tried to play it off like nothing had happened. Running his hands through his hair like he thought he might be going mad, and then looking around to see if anyone else had seen. He tried to walk away cool, but with an unconfident strut, so contrasting from his previous demeanor.

They both burst into laughter after he had left. It continued as the Polaroid dried, revealing his expression once more. Holding their sides, they laughed each time they looked at it.

“Oh man, that was hilarious…” Rachel said, still chuckling between her words, as they walked back over to the parade.

She looked at the other photos Max had taken. They were really good. She had caught one of a woman wiping ice-cream from her kid’s face, her expression one of loving vexation, the little boy squinting against her touch but also grateful for it.

“Wow, you really have an eye for this...” she said, looking at another of a bitter man walking through the crowd, irritated by it’s presence and obviously hating on parades, contrasted by all the happy people around him.

Max looked down and toyed with her feet at Rachel’s compliment, and then asked, “Can I take some of you?”

“Sure,” she answered with a smile.

Rachel still had a strange feeling about getting her picture taken, after the clicks and flashes of the dark room. But she liked it when Max did it, she trusted her.

After a bit, she asked if she could take one of both of them. But Max promptly shook her head, lips pressed together. When Rachel asked what was wrong, she told her about what had happened earlier.

“It was like I was starting to see through the Max’s eyes in the picture,” she said, looking a little afraid at the memory.

“So… you think you can go back further?” she said, “Change the past?”

“Yes,” she said, speaking with deliberation, “and that means some other Max from the future is coming back now.”

Rachel tried to wrap her head around that. Thinking about all the complications arising from time travel. She saw concern on the girl’s face.

“But if it’s still you…” Rachel started.

“Yeah, but what if…what if when I go back it’s not me? Like if I lose all my memories from this timeline, and turn into some other person?”

Rachel could tell these thoughts had been running around her head, “Maybe you’ll remember them both?” 

“I don’t know…” she said, staring away. “Do you think… would it be possible to talk to Sera’s friend?”

Rachel considered this, “I’m not really sure they are friends…” she said, “She actually seemed pretty mad at her.”

“But, maybe?”

“Yeah. I’ll ask her.”

“Okay, thanks. I just… I need some answers.”

“I understand, I really do… “ Rachel told her, “I don’t think you should stop taking your picture, though.” 

She looked apprehensive but, after some sweet-talking, agreed. Rachel took the camera from her, doing an impression of Max, making her laugh. As it went off, she prepared herself, but nothing happened. They both let out a sigh of relief.

“See. All good.” Rachel said, confidently.

Inwardly, she was quite glad the other Max hadn't shown up. She didn’t think she could take any more warnings.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Arcadia Auto Repair was on Main Street, close by. Chloe closed up, and left as the parade ended, walking through the dispersing crowd.

She’d met the owner, Robbie, when she’d gotten her truck fixed. The bill had been over $3,000. Super steep. He had just happened to be there when she was trying to tell Steve, the head mechanic, how to do his job better. Robbie had been so impressed with her previous knowledge, and natural back talking skills, that he’d hired her. She was lucky, she had learned so much more since she’d started there. And didn’t have a hefty bill hanging over her head.

She had sold some pot for Frank, but when he’d tried to get her start selling more, she’d backed away. Rachel had chewed Frank out bad, when she had discovered he had been selling GHB. Neither of them told him the real reason she was so furious, they’d just shamed him viciously. What kind of dealer sells fucking GHB? I mean, come on, isn’t it obvious what that is used for? Sure in small doses you might feel a little weird, but there are much better drugs for getting fucked up. That one’s for forgetting.

The easy money from selling had been nice, but she didn’t like the other parts. Like collecting the bill. She was still haunted by the whole Drew North thing. How Mikey had ended up in the hospital, a few rooms down from Rachel. Both of them there due to Damon’s wrath.

She was glad she had intervened. Drew had gotten a scholarship to Notre Dame. Chloe had even watched him play football on TV. Mikey and his Dad had moved to Indiana, to be closer, and the last time she had talked to Steph, she excitedly told her that Mikey had gotten into Purdue. 

Speaking of Steph, she remembered she was back from college for the summer. Chloe texted her, asking if she wanted to come tonight.

Since she was thinking of her old schoolmates, she briefly wondered what had become of Eliot. She hoped he had gotten some help. He’d been starting a spiral of a breakdown the last time she had seen him. He had been so possessive, and supremely jealous of Rachel. 

Usually the guys were jealous of her, Rachel being a total knockout and all... Chloe’s walk turned into a bit of strut, as she thought about how sexy her girlfriend was. 

She spotted her and Max, far away down the street, laughing and taking pictures. She watched them with appreciation. Max saw her coming and turned the camera towards her. She gave a small smile.

“You guys look great,” she said, admiring them both.

She liked the way Rachel’s eyes popped from the black dress with the random swirls of colors. Max’s dress wasn’t as punk as Rachel’s; it looked more like something you’d see at a music festival. Then she realized it was something Rachel had worn to the small one they’d gone to last summer. 

“God, it’s so fucking hot out,” she stated. “Do you guys want to head over to Robbie’s now? He’s opening his place up for the fourth. Barbeque, swimming?” she asked, looking between them.

Rachel nodded happily, but Max looked a little apprehensive. 

Chloe grinned at Max’s uneasy expression. She put her arm around her comfortably, as they started walking, “Come on, Mad Max, it will be fun.”

Max said she was in, and then stopped to dig into her camera bag. As her arm fell off the brunette, she saw her give the briefest of glances over to Rachel. Just from that small look Chloe suddenly remembered what Rachel had told her the other morning. It just clicked. She had been half asleep, in the middle of nightmares, and had internalized the comment. 

Wait, what? Her brain short-circuited, as she felt torn between two conflicting emotions. The first being angry that she’d taken the memory from her, and the second being utter delight. Maybe three, because she also felt extremely perplexed over it all. What the fuck was she supposed to do with this?

As they walked, Chloe trailed behind them. She didn’t really observe where they were going; just followed them through the dwindling crowds. Rachel kept glancing back at her, noticing she’d gone quiet.

She wondered who had made the first move. Probably her. She couldn’t imagine Max doing it. She felt a small pang of guilt for something she couldn’t remember. And then she was mad again for the girl taking that away from her. But she had been fine telling Rachel all about it. How had that confession gone down between them? Had Max tried to kiss her as well? 

With those powers… Chloe hadn't been able to help herself from imagining the kind of things she would do if she had them. 

And then Rachel had only told her about it when she was half-asleep? While she was busy dreaming of some fucked up darkness. 

And they were wearing each other’s clothes now?

She looked up, suddenly aware of where they were walking. She stopped, calling out to the both of them to hold up.

“Wait, where are we going?” she asked.

“Towards my car,” Rachel answered, slowing down.

“Oh, wait, no, I’m going to take my truck,” she said, pointing her thumb behind her, in the opposite direction.

Rachel looked at her skeptically, but then kissed her on the cheek, “Okay, I’ll meet you there.”

Chloe started to turn around, then paused, asking offhand, “Do you want to ride with her or…?”

Max looked way more overwhelmed at this question then was necessary. Chloe didn’t think she’d put an edge to her voice. But sometimes she could do that without really meaning to. Things always sound better in your head. 

Fuck this was awkward, she thought as she started to walk away, trying to be casual. She hadn't even meant it that way. But when Max had looked at her she had known that Chloe knew. 

As she walked back to her truck, sidewalks now mostly clear of people, she thought the girl had decided to go with Rachel. Probably for the best, that would be an uncomfortable car ride. However, after a few minutes, she heard footsteps moving up behind her. She could recognize the sound of the stride, so she slowed down. Max caught up and they kept walking. 

“So, have a chat with Rachel and she told you to go with me?”

Max shrugged, “Sort of.”

Chloe chuckled, “Well, at least your honest.”

Max followed her into the lot, “Telling the truth is usually the best option...”

“Oh yeah?” Chloe said turning to her, and leaning against the side of her truck.

She nodded in answer, as she seemed to brace herself for Chloe’s reaction. She was kind of annoyed that Max was leaving it up to her to bring up. Or not. Should she do it at the beginning of the night? Or the end? Basically, right now, or way later when they were drunk at an awesome beach house party right on the bay.

That wasn’t hard to answer. She got into the driver’s side, and started the truck.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Max was relieved when Chloe turned right and pulled up to a big house on the ocean. The drive over hadn't been as awkward as she’d feared, but it still wasn’t great. She hadn't known that Rachel had told her until she saw Chloe looking at her like she was suddenly a different color.

When she had walked off back towards her truck, Max had raised her eyebrows at Rachel. She wasn’t sure if she was mad that she had told her or not. The blonde had just looked at her, slightly defiant, and urged her to go.

She had wanted to be the one to tell or not tell Chloe. 

She guessed she could have brought it up on the way over here… but when she had tried to speak, it wouldn’t come out. She didn’t know how to explain that moment. How the taut desire had grown into a kiss, and how she had rewound spontaneously when she had seen regret in her eyes. 

“Wow, this place is cool,” she said as casually as she could manage as they parked near the back.

There was a big deck, overlooking the beach. Stairs descended from it to a stone fireplace, continuing down to the water. She thought she spotted a hot tub. Not that it was being used, with how warm it was outside.

“Yeah, he inherited the garage from his Dad, but he also owns a bunch of dealerships,” Chloe said as she turned off the truck. “He’s a goofy fucker, you’ll see.”

As they walked up to the house, Max saw that most of the people were down by the water. Chloe took out her phone when she heard it go off.

“Oh, cool, Steph is coming. You’ll like her.”

Max smiled, trying to be confident about meeting all these people. Chloe seemed to sense her discomfort, because after she waved to a few people, she led her over to the cooler.

She started to open the beer Chloe had handed her, “So, you're boss is okay with us drinking here?”

Chloe laughed, “Yeah, let me introduce you.” 

Most of the guests were down at the beach, playing and watching a volleyball game. A few others were gathered around the fireplace, sipping drinks and enjoying the sun. She noticed most of them were exceptionally good-looking men, shirts off and muscles on display. 

As they walked down the stairs, a man with a bright yellow open shirt and white shorts jumped up to greet them.

“Chloe!” he squealed, “You’re here! And you brought someone other than Rachel,” he added, eyeing Max.

“Max, this is my boss, Robbie-“ she started.

He interrupted her, “Oh please, I might own the place, but I hope you don’t consider me just your boss.”

Chloe chuckled, “Okay, Max, this is my friend, Robbie. Robbie this is Max. She just moved back here from Seattle.”

“Oh Seattle, what a city! Legal weed! Beautiful men! Speaking of…” he said, turning around and beckoning to someone. “Levi! Come over here and meet Chloe and her little friend.”

A blonde Adonis with beautiful tan skin stood up. He started walking backwards towards them, still chatting with the woman who’d been sitting next to him. He turned around, giving them both a dazzling smile. 

“Ladies, this is my boyfriend, Levi,” Robbie said with a smirk, and a displaying gesture. “This is Chloe and Max. Chloe works at the garage. She’s amazing. Thinking about just giving her the place.”

Chloe rubbed her neck, “Awh, I don’t know, I think that would piss off Steve a bit.”

“Oh, fuck Steve. He’s boring,” he shot back sarcastically. “So, where is Rachel?” he asked, glancing around.

“She’s on her way, should be here soon.” 

“Your little stoner buddies are down on the beach already,” he said sassily. Chuckling, he added, “They were one of the first to get here. “ 

“My friend Steph is coming too, after she has dinner with her family.”

He nodded, “Oh, yes, dinner, there’s plenty on the barbeque. Burgers, hot dogs, steak…” he gestured to Max, “Black bean burgers and veggie skewers if you are a vegetarian.” 

Max thanked him, “That all sounds great.”

“Good, good,” then he raised his eyebrow sardonically at Chloe, “Mostly meat eaters here…”

Chloe laughed, and then led Max away from the fireplace. They headed down to the beach. She introduced her to two skater boys who contrasted from the rest of the crowd. The guys got up to give them the lounge chairs, and sat down in the sand. They all started to watch the volleyball game.

“Chloe,” the guy named Justin said through red eyes, “Thanks for the invite. We’ve wanted to come back here since last year. This is such an awesome place.”

“No problem,” she said, taking the joint they were handing her. “Should be a fun night.”

“Yeah, last year was a blast,” the one named Trevor said laughing, “Remember the fire dance? Man… gay guys really know how to party.”

They reminisced over the last time they’d been here, and how much fun they’d had. 

“How’s Dana?” Chloe teased Trevor. “Ask her out yet?”

“No,” he answered sullenly, “She’s still messing around with that asshole, Logan.”

Steph showed up after they’d eaten, eyes wide as she made her way down to where they were sitting. The game had ended, and the beach had quieted down. Music was playing up on the deck, drifting down to them. 

“Wow, there are a ridiculous amount of hot guys up there,” she said jokingly. 

Chloe switched spots, sitting at the end of Max’s chair so Steph could have her own. Max liked her instantly. She had a chill personality. They started chatting about bands they both liked.

After a bit Steph glanced around, “Speaking of ridiculously hot people… where’s Rachel?”

Max had been wondering this herself. She should have been here a while ago. They had almost been to her car when they’d turned around.

“Not sure,” Chloe answered, frowning slightly.

She took out her phone, but put it away as her eyes were drawn to the house. Max followed her gaze. Some dancing had started up there, cheers going out as a circle was formed. She grinned as she noticed who had just arrived and was at the center dancing with the men. 

“Get it girl!” Justin yelled, hands cupped.

Even from down here, Max could see how well Rachel moved with the music. She had a drink in her hand, and a sly smile on her face. She danced through the crowd, short dress twirling, making her way to the stairs. She slowly parted from it amid lots of protests, promising she would come back.

When she came up to them she was full of energy and it ran infectiously through the group. She sat down next to Steph, giving her a hug. Max smirked at her expression as the blonde talked to her. Did everyone have a crush on Rachel? Justin and Trevor too both kept glancing over at her as they talked with Chloe. 

As the sun started sinking, and voices grew louder, Max started thinking about what it would be like, having people instantly infatuated with you like that. Oozing natural charisma, Rachel seemed more talkative, more on. But it was also like she had a curtain up, or at least a public persona. It made her cherish the moments she’d spent alone with her, when she was more genuine and introspective. 

Chloe finished telling the guys about the car she was working on and then got her girlfriend’s attention, “So, why’d it take so long for you to get here?”

Ending her conversation with Steph and Max, she answered, “I might have stopped by Frank’s…”

“Ooo, what’d you get?” Justin asked excitedly. “Cause you know I have plenty of weed,” he said, patting his pocket.

She pulled out a bag of mushrooms with a secret smile. The guys cheered, Steph smiled hesitantly, and Chloe looked to Max to see what her reaction would be.

“I don’t know…” Max answered honestly. 

Steph nodded, “Me too… not so sure. Though, this would be a fun place for it.”

Both the boys already had their hands out. Rachel laughed at them, and then kneeled down next to the chair, to parcel out the bag on top of it. 

“Okay, I got three eighths, splits between six people nicely. But it’s totally up to you,” she said, throwing one of the handfuls into her mouth, and then finishing off her drink. She got up, and started walking away, “I’m going to go dance more, before I start tripping.”

Chloe gave Rachel a funny look as she watched her walk back up the steps to the deck. Then she turned, “We don’t have to Max, I understand if you don’t want to.”

Trevor and Justin were both chewing away, joking about the taste. Chloe handed them her beer to help them get it down. Max thought about the two different paths the night could take. They could all trip together, or the group would most likely split off into two. 

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Chloe waited for the girl’s answer, hoping she would say yes. As Steph started asking the guys if their skateboarding skills had increased at all, she noticed Max shift in the chair next to her. Lowering her left hand, she looked around her like she was regaining her bearings. 

“Hey,” Max said to her, as if she hadn't been sitting next to her the whole time.

Chloe, remembering the last time she’d rewound, raised her eyebrow, “What did you just do?”

“I changed my mind.” 

Surprising her greatly, Max leaned over, grabbed the mushrooms and ate them without another word. 

After coaxing from the guys, Steph did the same. Chloe ate hers last, and then looked over at Max questioningly. 

She leaned over and whispered into Chloe’s ear, “This seemed like more fun. Plus… some shit went down.”

Chloe thought she sounded a little bit more buzzed than she had been a minute ago, and she noticed her secretly wiping blood from her nose. She got up to rinse off in the ocean, so Chloe followed her.

“How far forward did you just come back from?” she asked.

“Like a hour?” she said, considering. “As far as I can go without Rachel. Who by the way, we should prevent from drinking as much this time… She was super wasted when I left. I think she was bummed we weren’t tripping with her.”

This didn’t surprise Chloe, she could tell by how Rachel was acting that she was trying to get fucked up. She wondered if there was something bothering her.

About a half hour later, Rachel came back down to the beach to see what they were up to. She looked pleased when she found out they had all eaten the mushrooms. Max nodded at Chloe when she sat back down with them, already signifying a change to the timeline.

How weird. 

Chloe started to think about how much weirder it was about to get. It made her laugh. She looked over and saw Max had a goofy grin on her face as she watched the boys tossing a Frisbee back and forth. It was glow-in–the-dark, and the trails it created were growing longer and longer.

The sun was disappearing beneath the waves, and night was taking over. When the darkness was complete, the fireworks started. A lone red spark shot up, and broke across the sky. Others joined it. 

Chloe got up and turned the chair with Max still on it. When she sat back down they were faced towards the water, perfect seats for the show. Brilliant colors exploded above the bay, illuminating the beach. 

In the beginning, Max got up and tried taking photos, but she kept laughing as she tried to frame her shots. She gave up and kneeled down near Rachel, taking a final picture of her, Steph, and Chloe staring at the fireworks. Well… Chloe had been watching Max, so she guessed she’d been looking at the camera. She would have to ask to see the photo. She forced her eyes back up.

They all watched in awe as the different shapes blasted and shook the bay, sparks reflecting off the water and their eyes. The grand finale lit up the sky and ocean, as the loud booms echoed across the sea.

Chloe could still see them blooming across her vision, after the sky had grown dark again. She had to keep blinking her eyes to clear them. She noticed the others were doing the same, and they all started laughing.

They tried to play volleyball, but no one was really into it. Slowly, they meandered away. The guys got into the water to play with the Frisbee again. Chloe liked how it looked skimming across the surface, the force of air causing a tiny wake. She left Steph and Rachel to watch them and followed Max. Who had wandered and was walking along the shore, picking up shells and throwing them into the water.

“What are you doing?” Chloe asked with humor as she caught up to her.

“Returning them to their homes,” she answered.

Chloe laughed, and then started to help her. They ended up farther down the beach where it was quieter. She could tell the girl was as in her head as she was. But also felt a responsibility to make sure she had a good time, having brought her here and all. She contemplated how she felt like she could actually do that for Max, where as Rachel was always leading her into things. She shook her head to clear it. She did not want to start thinking of the differences between the two girls. 

She needed a distraction. She got Max to sit down with her in the sand.

“Are you glad you ate the shrooms?”

Max smiled widely, “Definitely.” She leaned back, and looked at the stars, pointing to the north, “Rachel told me that’s Draco the Dragon.”

“Yeah, that’s her favorite,” she said, wondering what else they had talked about. 

Max started to talk about their powers. She seemed to have gained a fresh perspective over them.

“For us all to have them. I mean, that has got to mean something… Mean, mean…” Max giggled, and then exclaimed, “Hey! You know what else is weird, we are all only children, no siblings.”

Chloe considered this, then added absently, “Yeah, and we’re all into girls…” 

Max blushed at that, but didn’t deny it. Instead, she started to tell her about what had happened before she had rewound.

“So, when Rachel came back down the other time, she only stayed for a second, then disappeared back upstairs again.” Max said, and then retreated into her thoughts, “She’s a really good dancer…” 

“Hey, Max,” she said, smiling at her and calling her attention back. She got caught staring at her eyes, dilated and shining blue even in this light. She wondered if hers looked the same. She lay back down, “Tell me the story.”

“Okay, so Trevor and Justin started being really funny. Joking around and having a good time. We were all just hanging out,” she said, grinning at past antics only she remembered. “That’s when I first thought about changing my mind.”

Chloe listened, guessing what had happened next, “But Rachel got drunk, huh?” Remembering her determined expression as she’d downed her drink.

“Yeah, when she came back down she was wasted.” Max said, “She was talking about her parents. And how love is a lie that can bloom and die.” She paused to laugh, “Hah, that rhymes,” and then seemed to actually think about the term and grew pensive.

The phrase repeated sing-songy in Chloe’s head, she didn’t like how it made her feel, “What happened next?”

“Well, we got up to help her… and to also shut her up when she started talking about our powers,” Max said. “And how we must’ve been given them for a reason... Like destroying Sean Prescott. “

“Uh oh…”

“Obviously the others didn’t believe her, and thought she was just messed up. But then she grabbed my hand…”

“She didn’t?” Chloe asked, surprised Rachel had taken it that far. Alcohol and mushrooms was a hell of a combination, though.

“Honestly, the look on their faces…” Max reached into her camera bag, laughing. “You were pacing around anxiously, so I told you to stop and take a picture. I already knew what I was going to have to do.”

Chloe took the photo she handed her. It was of Steph, Trevor, and Justin. They were sitting in the sand; eyes squinted against a bright light, mouths wide open, with astounded expressions on their faces. She gave it back to her as Max continued.

“I want to do a whole series of photos like these, call it dumbfound or flabbergast or something like that…” she started to trail off. “Shock and awe….” She sniggered, “…. Shakah brah.”

“Wait, so what happened?” Chloe asked, drawing her back.

“Um, right,” she said, gathering her wits, “Then Rachel started casting this large pillar of blue flame. And more people started to stagger down from the house, completely amazed.” Max sighed, “It started spinning, fast. Turning into this cyclone that was digging into the sand. Spitting out fire. It twisted down the beach, creating a jagged trench along the shore.”

Chloe kept listening intently, seeing it clearly in her head. 

Max chuckled, “The upside is it seemed to sober her up, at least a little bit. She leaned over to me and told me that I had to rewind this. And then she let go… There was this shocked silence… I was the only one moving. I grabbed the photo, sat down in the chair, and went back.”

“Wow…” Chloe said, thinking about how mesmerizing it would be to see their light show now with how she was feeling. She wished they were somewhere more private, so she could ask Rachel to summon that forest of little trees again. 

They sat in the sand, quiet for a bit, both in thought. And then Max turned over, and spoke in a disheartened voice. 

“I’m sorry.”

Chloe sat up, and swiveled so she was facing her. Okay, so this was happening now. She didn’t speak, just waited for her to say more. Max hung her head to avoid her eyes.

“I shouldn’t have taken that memory away from you… it was just…“ she struggled to explain, “It was my fault. I wasn’t thinking, and I kissed you.”

Well, she hadn't expected that. The image ricocheted through her brain, “You kissed me? Not the other way around?”

“No, it was definitely me…” Max said, looking up. “You pulled away Chloe, and when I saw your guilt I rewound without even considering. I’m really sorry.”

Chloe tried to envision this situation. How guilty would she have been? She hadn't really taken what Rachel had said last week seriously, since she sometimes said things just to gauge Chloe’s reaction. 

Plus, they had been kind of busy, what with the dead girls and all. Ugh, steer your mind away from that shit. Okay, back to Max kissing her. All on her own… but she could bet she’d kissed her back. So, yeah, she probably had looked guilty. She was loyal to a fault.

Finally she said, “It’s okay, I forgive you, just… don’t do it again.”

“What kiss you, or rewind?” Max joked.

She didn’t want to say the former, so instead she replied candidly, “Rewind.” 

Max raised her eyebrows, but kept silent. She seemed lost for words. That or the shell she was playing with had stolen her attention something fierce.

Then, Chloe swallowed audibly. “You know, Rachel did sort of give me a strange go ahead.”

“She… she did?” Max looked surprised, “What exactly does that mean?”

“I’m not sure,” Chloe said truthfully.

They both lay back down, contemplating. Listening to the gentle waves riding up the shore, mingling with the music from farther away. Max giggled, which got Chloe giggling too. They laughed together, and then effortlessly veered off onto other subjects. 

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel had her hands in the sand, liking the feel of it running through her fingers. She picked it up, and let it slowly trickle out. Her hand gripping tighter and the space inside growing smaller, as she tried to hold onto it. Metaphors blossoming in her mind from this simple action.

There was a three-story party going on behind her; one on the beach, one by the fireplace, and one on the deck. She scooted around, observing each of them. Noticing the differences at each level. The dancers and drinkers up top, the conversationalists in the middle, and the playful down at the bottom. 

By the fireplace, she saw there was a guy taping glow sticks to his body. She watched as his friends helped, Robbie laughing and directing them. They were lining the fluorescents up on his body like a stick figure. When he was finished, he had them on the front and back. He came running down the steps, and did a flip onto the beach. They all cheered. 

There was barely a moon, so the night was dark. He started dancing around the beach, and the illusion was extraordinary. It really looked like a stick figure jumping around. People plopped down in the sand to watch. 

She was so engrossed she didn’t notice that Robbie had sat down next to her.

“How you doing, honey?” he asked her, warmly.

She pulled her eyes away to look at him, “Good,” she answered with a wide smile.

“Heard you guys were all tripping down here. Thought I’d make Levi put on a show for you. Saw this once at Electric Forest, and it totally blew my mind,” he said laughing. 

She watched the figure; he was doing jumping jacks now. Justin was shouting out different moves he wanted to see. Trevor and Steph were continuously giggling as he kept coming up with more.

“How do you know so many different dance moves?” Steph asked through her laughter.

He shrugged and shouted, “Free spin!”

The figure spun in a circle, the glow sticks tracing into one.

“Thunderclap!”

The figure slid to the right, and then raised his arms up to the side and clapped. They all laughed.

Rachel shouted out next, “Do a handstand!”

The figure bent forward, hands out. He flipped upside down, resting on his head, and carefully straightened out his legs. When they were pointed up, the figure slowly started to rise, arms balancing in the sand. They all boisterously applauded. He curled down his legs, and then somersaulted into sitting position.

He entertained them for a while, taking a variety of requests, as they cheered him on. Rachel liked the cartwheels the best. When he collapsed, exhausted in the sand, Robbie got up to congratulate him on a job well done. Both him and Levi started teasing the others, wittily messing with their addled minds. Rachel watched for a while, but then her thoughts started to distract her. She glanced around.

She saw Max and Chloe farther down the beach; they were lying next to each other, staring up at the stars. Rachel was reminded of the other night, when Max and her had done the same thing. She wondered what they were talking about. 

Her gaze was diverted by the ocean. The way it rocked against the shore. She imagined someone tipping a big bowl of soup back and forth. Standing up, she took off her dress, and walked to the water’s edge. Feeling her feet sink in to the sand as the waves washed over them. The sea was fairly calm tonight, seemingly stilled by the heat. She slowly started in, liking how the contrasting temperatures felt. Her legs cool, but her body still warm. Hot, cold. Her thoughts felt the same.

She was glad she hadn't kept drinking. She wouldn’t have been able to savor this moment. Of the water stretching out before her for miles and miles. She could truly grasp just how fucking large it was. Could feel the earth below her, running underneath the sea, feeling infinite. She thought about how far it traveled, curving to come back around behind her.

She cupped a handful of water, but it started to leak out. She couldn’t hold onto it. She started to think about her parents. And then Sera, and how her father had just left her to face the horror of her addiction alone. And how he was treating her now. 

The story of her mother standing on Vista Bridge reverberated through her head. Don’t think about that… Sean Prescott’s face flashed through her mind, evoking anger. No, don’t think about that either. The look on Chloe’s face when she had asked who Max wanted to ride with… Ugh. Stop, Rachel... she told herself. Maybe she should have kept drinking.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing there, staring at the horizon, when she heard someone walking through the water, coming up behind her. She briefly tensed. Then she felt arms wrap around and her whole body relaxed. It was Chloe. They stood that way for a while, reassured by each other’s presence.

“How ya doing?” Chloe asked her, breathing in the smell of her hair.

Rachel leaned against her, liking how her body felt. How strong and supportive it was. She turned her head to the side, as Chloe nuzzled her neck. Trailing feathery kisses that sent out shivers, despite the heat.

“Okay, you?” she lied. But she would be, if she kept her mind occupied.

She felt the girl’s mouth curl into a smile, “I’m great.”

Rachel pointed out to sea, “Look at how still the ocean is. The stars are reflecting. You can’t tell where the water ends and the sky begins.”

Chloe sighed, and she felt the breath against her shoulder, “Just a floating ball of water drifting through space.”

Rachel chuckled, still feeling a leftover tingling on her skin, “Where’s Max? Is she okay?”

“Yeah.” Chloe nodded against her, “She’s being really funny.”

She pulled away, so she could turn around to see her face, “We’ve totally corrupted her.”

“Hah, I don’t know… think she had a bit of a devious side already…” She began listing some of the girl’s unprompted actions.

Rachel listened idly but, now that she could see her girlfriend’s body, was very distracted. Eyes focused on the water droplets gathering on her skin. She was running her hand down her front, tracing her fingers, connecting them. She liked how her abs tensed when she circled her bellybutton, her words momentarily ceasing before she resumed talking about the brunette. Rachel reached her bathing suit bottoms, hooked in a finger and pulled her closer. She stood up on her toes and kissed her, taking Max’s name right out of her mouth.

___________________________________________________________________

Max had never felt anything like this before. The thoughts swirling around her head almost didn’t feel like her own. Everything she saw or felt had a twisted perspective. One she wasn’t used to. Like she was hibernating inside someone else’s mind.

She curled up on a lounge chair. The boys had gone up to the fireplace with Robbie and Levi. She could hear laughter floating down. She watched absently as Rachel lead Chloe by the hand upstairs. Hoping they were just going to dance.

She turned and asked Steph a question, posing it as a theoretical, “If you could change anything in your past, would you? Even if it could change everything about your life now?”

Steph got really into answering it. She was a very descriptive girl, using her words to paint a picture in Max’s head. She told her a story about an elf gifted with the ability to travel through time. But he never used it because he didn’t have anything he wanted to change. He had found his love, and had built a beautiful life with her. They had reached a ripe age, when she had died before him. He still had his children, constant reminders of their love. But they had lives of their own, and they moved on to other lands. He ended up old and alone. Only then did he go back to change the fate of his loved one, so that he could die with her by his side.

When she had finished, Max asked, “So is that a yes?”

Steph laughed, “I don’t know, I just started talking and that came out. But, I guess it all depends on the why. Was the elf being selfish, or was he genuinely trying to help?”

“Both?” Max deliberated, “Maybe he just didn’t want to die alone.”

“We all die alone,” Steph said, “Unless you die in a bus crash or something…”

“Yeah… “ Max said, adding with a smile, “and you all have to wait in a line together to get into heaven.”

Steph chuckled, “And there’s an angel handing out refreshments as you wait to find out the fate of your eternal soul.”

They started to discuss what could happen after death, both exhibiting a sense of humor over it at first, before growing deeper. Exchanging various thoughts and theories. Max wasn’t sure what to believe. She had been pretty agnostic, but she also hadn't thought time travel or pyrokinesis was possible. Not to mention Chloe’s ability…. 

She was about to pose another hypothetical question, when Steph spoke first.

“Do you know who Nathan Prescott is?” Steph started, “He went to Blackwell, and disappeared back in April. No one knows what happened to him. Just poof,” Steph snapped her fingers, “And he was gone.”

Max’s brain faltered, and then she said as nonchalantly as she could possibly managed, “I heard about that…”

“And then I found out today that Victoria Chase is missing now too. They would both be in your grade.”

“Wait. What?” Max said sitting straight up, mind turning inward and freaking out. 

“Yeah. Her car is at the airport. Right near where they found Mark Jefferson’s. You probably heard about him, since you’re into photography?”

Max nodded, still thinking frantically about Victoria.

“Well, her parents said she never got on the plane. It’s all over Facebook. They are asking if anyone has seen her.”

She had. When she was leaving for the airport. Oh god, no. Had she been the last person to see her?

She stood up abruptly. 

“I… I have to go to the bathroom,” she said, stumbling away, “I’ll be right back.”

Steph, clueless over her distress, just smiled, said okay, and went back to her thoughts. Max didn’t even hear her; she was already half way up the steps. Justin tried to call her attention as she passed the fireplace. She just sort of waved at him and kept walking. Her mind was stuttering, as she looked for Chloe and Rachel.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel pulled Chloe into a guest room, shut the door, and then pressed her against it. Trailing kisses up her shoulder and neck, making her shudder. 

Teasing, she backed away when the girl tried to touch her. She gripped her wrists and pushed them against the door, as she kissed her fiercely. Chloe moaned into her mouth as she pressed her thigh between her legs.

Rachel was fascinated by the different responses she was eliciting from her. Her brain firing off strange synapses as their tongues touched. She let go of her wrists, so her hands could play with her hair. Chloe wrapped her arms around her, lifting her closer. She picked her up and they fell onto the bed. They both stopped to laugh as they bounced upon it.

Chloe started to kiss her again, hands exploring her body, as Rachel felt an energy start to rise in her. She pulled away gasping, trying to control herself.

There was a soft knock on the door, from the other side they heard Max speak, “Hey, sorry guys…” 

Rachel felt a thrill go through her from the sound of her voice. She felt the sheets next to her start to burn. She lifted up her hand, shaking it off and swearing, making sure she hadn't started a fire. 

She looked up to see Chloe watching this with raised eyebrows. Then she smirked and shook her head. Jumping up from the bed she opened the door. Rachel saw her face shift with concern.

Max came through the doors in a full panic, “Victoria Chase is missing.”

She looked around at Chloe’s mussed up hair, and Rachel lying on the bed, both of them in their bathing suits, and paused.

“What do you mean?” Chloe asked, drawing her eyes.

Max returned to being frantic, “I mean… she was on her way to the airport, but Steph said she never got on the plane. That her parents are looking for her.”

Rachel was too fucked up to hear this, and shook her head against it. She sat up and scooted to the end of the bed. 

Chloe remained calm, “Maybe she got on a different flight? Went somewhere else?” she said, looking between them.

Rachel sighed, exasperated. Couldn’t they get one fucking night?

“You know what we have to do,” she said, voice echoing in her head. She tried to be serious, “We need to see if she’s alive.”

Her mind bent around the possibility that she wasn’t. 

“Really?” Chloe said, rubbing her neck, “I… I don’t think I can do that right now.”

“I know…” Max said, sitting on the bed next to Rachel to steady herself. “Man, I was having such a good time until Steph said that. Now it’s just bouncing around my brain like a… like a-“

“Yo-yo?” Rachel offered

“Titties on a trampoline?” Chloe said at the same time.

They both looked over at her with wide eyes, and then burst into laughter. 

When they had finally stopped, Rachel said, “Okay, yeah. Maybe we shouldn’t do that right now.”

Chloe lay down in between them, stretching out, pulling them back with her. The ceiling looked like it was breathing. 

“The ceiling looks like it’s breathing.” Max said.

“Hah, I just thought that.” Rachel responded.

Chloe held Rachel’s hand. She pulled it up in front of her, and then reached over and grabbed Max’s. Slowly she pushed their fingers together, staring into the light they produced.

Rachel inhaled, but didn’t pull away. It was like she could feel the girl’s spirit in the touch. Pushing past the energy they produced, she could sense her essence underneath it. She looked over Chloe, into Max’s eyes gazing back at her, seemingly reading her thoughts. The brunette smiled softly.

Chloe turned to her with large eyes reflecting their light, “Can you make that little forest again?”


	12. Chapter 12

James was peeking through the window, watching Sean get out of his car. He had broken into his house, and was waiting for him to come home. He backed towards the wall, holding his breath, as he saw him coming up the walk.

He had spent the last several nights trying to remember. But he had only regained bits and pieces. A girl. The woods. Sean’s persuasive voice. A tiny claustrophobic room. He couldn’t stand this fragmented memory. It was driving him crazy. He knew the man was trying to use him against Rachel.

He had to stop him.

He examined the gun in his hand, checking again that it was loaded. Making sure the safety was off. He steadied himself, trying to calm his breathing, as he gripped it tightly.

He had told his daughter that he would deal with this. And he would. But he had to be quick.

He couldn’t give the man a chance to speak.

___________________________________________________________________

 

“I told Robbie it was from a cigarette. Not sure if he believed me, though…” Chloe said, “He might think we are into some pretty kinky shit.”

Rachel laughed, “Oh well. Better than him knowing the truth.”

Max stopped listening to their chatter, and started to prepare while she followed them across Blackwell’s campus. 

She had slept all day at her dorm, waking up to Chloe’s phone call in the late evening. They’d gone out to eat, and she was feeling better. More like herself. But now they were about to try to find Victoria, and she would get drained again. She was a little apprehensive about it all.

Rachel had wanted to do it at American Rust, but Chloe thought they had to be somewhere where she had been. And Victoria wouldn’t have been caught dead at the junkyard. They all winced at her phrasing.

When they reached the door across from Max’s they glanced around, each waiting for the other to get it open.

Chloe chuckled, “Well, I guess I’ll be the one breaking in?”

Max smiled and nodded, “Yeah, can you? I’ll rewind afterwards.”

“Don’t pretend like you haven’t always wanted to kick in a door,” Rachel smirked.

Chloe did just that, kicking out her leg fiercely, and busting the door open.

“Awesome.”

“Wait here,” Max told them.

She entered the room, and rewound to before the door had been broken. She unlocked it, and went out. They were walking down the hall towards her.

Rachel gave her a sly grin, “See, I told you that’s where she went,” she said to Chloe.

“Yeah, it’s just weird when she disappears like that,” she answered, mildly defensive.

“Were you worried about me?” Max teased.

“Yes,” Chloe humorlessly stated, “We are about to try to find out if a girl we know was murdered... “ She shook her head, rubbing her neck, “I might not be a fan of Victoria, but she definitely didn’t deserve death by serial killer.”

In response, Max backed up and ushered them into the room. They stood in the middle solemnly staring around them.

“Wow,” Chloe said enviously, eyes large. “Nice…”

“I’ll say… look at her camera equipment,” Max said, pointing over to it, “And that’s the stuff she left here.”

Rachel started curiously going through her desk, “All that money can’t buy skills...” she said idly, “You are way better, Max.”

“Thanks,” she said, beaming over her compliment. She had never been good at receiving them, but she actually believed it when she heard it from her. 

Chloe was checking out the huge plasma television. She smiled over at her and said, “Imagine how cool it would be to watch Blade Runner on this.”

Max agreed, wishing that’s what they were in here to do. She started to reservedly poke around.

“Wow, I didn’t know her parents owned The Chase Space,” she said after finding a poster, “…color me impressed.”

Rachel was looking at her bookshelf, “Ugh, she’s a big fan of Mark Jefferson…“ she said, recoiling. She got up and turned around, “Okay, enough snooping, are you ready?”

She wasn’t sure if she was, but her voice came out sounding reasonably confident, “Yes.” 

Her expression must not have matched because Chloe was gazing at her, seeming to know that she was uneasy. 

Max deflected her inquiry by asking, “You?”

She nodded in response, and placed her hand on her shoulder, “You sure?”

“I am,” Max said, taking a deep breath. Trying to get ready for what was about to happen. If they were able to contact Victoria, she had to remain conscious for as long as she possibly could. 

But all of them hoped this wouldn’t be necessary. That Chloe would try to connect with her, or however she did it, and no one would answer. That Victoria was alive and well, somewhere far away from Arcadia Bay.

Max reached out and Rachel promptly took her right hand, sharply breathing in and straightening her back. She couldn’t help but smile at the overwhelming effect she had on the girl.

She raised her left hand and stopped time. Watching carefully as Chloe’s eyes changed, tendrils curling out across them until they were completely swathed in gray. She felt a current run through her as Rachel’s fire fed Chloe’s reach. 

“Umm… Victoria?” Chloe asked, tentatively, “Are you there?”

They all waited silently.

“Anything?” Rachel asked with a strained voice.

She answered, concentrating, “I… I don’t know. It’s all dark…” 

“Didn’t she only just move in?” Max asked, “Maybe she hasn’t been here enough?“

Rachel spoke quickly, “Or maybe she is alive and-“

“Fuck,” Chloe interrupted her, “I feel what I felt in that dream, of the gallery and the forest.” She cleared her throat, trying to clarify, “It’s like a spiteful pride... that doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“Is it her?” Max asked, worriedly.

She furrowed her brows, as she started to look around the room. Max saw her expression turn downcast.

“Yes.” Chloe said, and then added in an exasperated manner, “She just asked me what the fuck I was doing in her room… “ She frowned, “Hey… I heard that too!” 

“Hurry, Chloe, I don’t think I can hold out much more.” Rachel said breathily, eyes shut tight.

Chloe started to relax. Max felt something serene and dark start flowing through her. Trickling down from her shoulder, pumping through her heart, and heading out to the other arm. And it was met at her hand by the wild energy she got from Rachel. As an intermediary between them, she started to grow weak. 

Max let out a shaky breath, as her knees started to falter from their combined energies. They seemed to merge within her, drawing from her very essence. She concentrated on keeping her eyes open.

Rachel breathed out, looking forlorn as she began to produce translucent purple flames. Whirling off of her hand they spun into shape, starting at the floor and curling upwards. Forming a figure that, even in death, was dressed to the nines. 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Chloe could already see Victoria clearly standing in front of her, arms crossed. She looked pissed as she stared at the sight before her.

“What the fuck is this?” she asked sharply, “You dykes have super powers now?”

She tried to stifle her annoyance, and concentrate on asking the right questions. She didn’t know how long Max could keep this up; she already felt her shoulder wavering under her hand. She attempted to delve into Victoria’s memories, but they weren’t available to her like Nathan’s had been. He had wanted her to see, but she definitely didn’t. The girl was closed off, staring at her suspiciously.

Chloe started to speak, but Victoria was looking at her like she used to, and she felt defensive, so all she managed was, “You’re dead.” 

She rolled her eyes, “No shit.”

“How?”

Chloe got a flash of the airport, a car door shutting. A figure coming up to her. Darkness. Ropes. Time passing without an end in sight. A shadowy forest. And a chase. Hands gripping around her neck, squeezing.

And anger. Victoria was so fucking angry. The wraith far outweighed the fear.

“She looks really mad.” Chloe heard Rachel say, “I’m so sorry, Victoria, this shouldn’t have happened.”

Chloe saw Victoria turn to the space next to her, “Tell her to shut up.”

“She told me to tell you to shut up,” Chloe stated calmly, concentrating on reaching out mentally.

“I can feel you prodding.” Victoria snapped at her, “Why the hell do you care?”

Chloe spoke softly, “We… we are going to stop him.” 

Victoria exhaled in fuming frustration, allowing Chloe to slip past some of her defenses. She saw an angry woman, talking down to her. It must be from when she was a child. The woman was saying awful, demeaning things about her appearance. She felt small, and hurt, and confused.

The view switched, she saw a gallery, art show in process. The same woman leaned over and casually told her that she would never be good enough to display here. She felt a humiliating disgrace and the desire to prove her wrong. 

Again it changed, now she saw a kitchen, bigger than her whole first floor. The woman was at the counter, careening from the large glass of wine in her hand. Spewing vile life lessons about how to control people. Speaking to her daughter like she was too dim to even understand them. She felt the emotions of a lost girl desperate for her mother’s approval, while adamantly promising she would never be like her.

“Stop it!” Victoria screamed as the memories disappeared and she saw her clearly again.

Chloe drew in a shaky breath, “I’m… I’m sorry…”

She spoke venomously, guard up, “Don’t you dare pity me...” 

“I won’t,” she lied. She straightened up and spoke in her most sincere voice, “Please… tell me where he took you.”

Victoria nodded reluctantly, still eyeing her. 

She felt a strange stiffness go through her. Claustrophobia at the inability to move. She saw cars passing through eyes that kept closing. A small town that she thought she recognized. A dirt road running through the woods. A cabin.

Suddenly, everything disappeared as she felt the shoulder underneath her hand give way. 

As her eyes cleared, she saw Rachel supporting an unconscious Max. She leaned down and picked her up. Carrying her out into the hall, she waited while Rachel opened the door across the way. After gently placing Max on her bed, she checked her breathing. It was as calm and peaceful as her expression. Chloe envied it.

Her heart was beating fast as she tried to escape Victoria’s mood still pulsating through her. She struggled to shake off the infuriating resentment from the various memories. Turning around to face her girlfriend, she pulled her into a hug, seeking comfort.

Rachel calmed her, running her hand down her back, before asking, “Did she show you?”

“Yes.” Chloe said drawing away to sit on the bed next to Max, checking on her again. “I saw the same woods from Nathan’s memories, and the cabin.”

Rachel looked frustrated. She sat down on the futon across from her. Putting her head in her hands, and sighing.

“Hold on. I also saw the drive there. And a small town, that… I think I recognized.”

She looked up at her hopefully, “Really?”

“Yeah, I just… I can’t place it yet,” she answered, trying to hold onto to all of the details. Why was it so familiar?

They stared at each other silently, as they waited for Max to wake up. 

Rachel shook her head miserably, “I can’t believe Victoria is dead.” 

“I know…” she said as it hit her. It was so fucking unfair. 

She felt like she knew the girl a lot better now, understanding where her defensive nature came from. Guess reading through someone’s emotions could do that. She could still feel them running through her skin.

With a guilty expression, Rachel spoke, “And the last time I talked to her… god… I totally used her… just to get information.”

Chloe saw tears forming in her eyes, “Hey… stop… it was for a good reason.”

“Was it?” she said, sadness turning to anger, “Because I don’t think my dad is doing anything with it! He won’t tell me a fucking thing, he is just cold and distant, and Sera won’t tell me why, and I am just out in the dark and… and she was killed right after I talked to her! And nobody is fucking stopping him!“

When she saw the yellow in her eyes growing, Chloe kneeled down in front of her and told her to breathe. Trying to get her to calm down, and regain control. She put her hands on the blonde’s legs, rubbing them soothingly.

“No, fuck that,” she said, throwing Chloe off her and standing up. “I need to do something! I want to find him, and burn his fucking house to the ground.”

Chloe leaned back on her arms and looked up at her as she paced, empathizing with the anger. She heard movement behind her and turned around. Max was waking up. She sat down next to her, watching as her eyes fluttered. After a bit, the brunette gave a wide yawn, and stretched.

When she could see the blue of her eyes, Chloe smiled at her. She gave a weary smile back and then her gaze shifted over her shoulder.

Eyebrows rising, Max asked, “Where’s Rachel?”

“Hmm? She’s right here…“ she said, glancing behind her.

Shit. 

The room was empty and the door was standing open. She got up and looked out into the hallway. Nothing. She must have quietly left while she was waiting for Max to wake up. Chloe knew where she was going. 

“Rewind, make her come back.”

Max raised her left hand, tiredly. She squinted her eyes. But nothing happened.

“I… I can’t.”

“Why not?” Chloe asked.

“I don’t know… ugh, I feel exhausted,” she said, easing herself up onto her elbows. 

“Please? She’s going after Sean.”

Max cringed with the effort of trying again to turn back time. She inhaled sharply and then held her head in her hands, “God, my fucking head.”

“It’s okay… stop.” Chloe said gently, reaching out to her. “Can you get up?” 

She took her hand and sat up slowly, “Try calling her.”

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel was in a fury. Thinking about only one thing. Finding Sean Prescott. She got into Chloe’s truck and roared out of the parking lot.

Why had she waited so long? She should have killed him straight away. Before Victoria had died. She had known by then what he was. Why hadn't she stopped him? 

She tried to ease her emotions, noticing flashes of flames running across her fingers. Knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel.

Chloe was calling her. She ignored it and threw it onto the seat next to her, driving to the Prescott’s house. When she got there she saw that the driveway was empty, the gate locked. She thought about just ramming through it, but hesitated slightly as a thought broke through her anger; Chloe loved this truck…

She stared at the house, wanting to set it aflame. He didn’t deserve to come home to a place like this. She tried to reign in her emotions a bit, knowing that she would do just that if she didn’t control herself.

Her phone rang again. She glanced over at it annoyed, and then saw it was her dad. She picked it up.

“What?”

“Rachel… you… are alone?” he sounded like he was struggling to speak. 

“Yeah?”

She heard a pause, and a man’s voice in the background. Then her father spoke again.

“The… the lighthouse, I… am with… Sean,” he stuttered out.

She started to speak, but stopped when she heard her father grunting with effort. It sounded like the phone was being taken from him. 

Then he screamed furiously from farther away, “You fucking bastard!” 

And then the line went dead.

She turned the truck around, and pushed the pedal to the floor, heading towards the bay. Briefly considering calling Chloe, and then remembering what Max had been like after they had summoned Nathan. So drained and lethargic that they’d had to help her into the house. 

No, she needed to do this herself, just as she had in the dark room. If she were worrying about them, she wouldn’t be able to lose herself in the flames. She might not be able to summon them at all. She had a moment of self-doubt, but then thought about Victoria again. A heat sprawled across her, igniting. She glanced into the mirror and saw her eyes shining back at her. She’d never seen them like that before. They looked cool. She smirked dangerously. 

Fuck it. He was just a man. This wasn’t going to be hard.

She drove fast, passing any cars in front of her. She felt more clearheaded with a purpose. She finally knew where he was. And was going to make him pay for Victoria, and all the other girls who’s lives he’d cut iniquitously short. 

Let’s see how he likes it.

___________________________________________________________________

 

James’s ankles were tied with rope, as well as his wrists, but he didn’t have far to go. He crawled across the dirt to reach his phone. Sean had thrown it to the ground, and was pacing with excitement. He secretly grabbed it while his back was turned, and scooted back to his position. 

He could tell Sean was being careful with how he used his controlling power, as if it were finite. A new transformation was taking place. The man seemed to be pulsing with bloodlust. He threw his head back and let out a triumphant cry.

James shuddered against it, hating the sound. Fear rose up, choking him. He had failed miserably, and now Rachel was heading right for a trap.

He waited for the man to turn again. Sera. She was the only one he could think to contact. With his hands tied, he struggled to type, continually glancing over to make sure he wouldn’t be caught. He managed to send a quick message.

‘Lighthouse. Rachel in danger.’

He hastily threw it back before Sean faced him again. After it had landed, skidding in the dirt, it started to ring. Not noticing it was in a different position, Sean stomped over and picked it up, looking at the screen. 

“Who is Chloe?” he asked him.

James shook his head, refusing to answer. 

“Who?” he yelled, compelling him to speak.

“It’s Rachel’s girlfriend,” he told him.

He barked a laugh, speaking heartlessly, “Well, she is going to be single soon.”

He threw the phone with all his might, it launched out over the cliff an impossible distance. He resumed his pacing, glancing down the trail.

“Please don’t do this,” James pleaded, shedding desperate tears. “Kill me instead… please… please don’t hurt her.”

“You? You are less than nothing,” he said dismissively, and then added, “But don’t worry, I will kill you too. I’ll burn you with your daughter’s power. After I take it from her.”

James stared, dumbfounded. He begged him again, mind in full-blown panic. He tried to sit up, but Sean came over and put his foot on top of him. He leaned down close with wrathful eyes, pressing down harder, “She will come. She will die. And you will watch.”

“No, please, no.”

“Don’t worry, I will wake you up when it’s time,” he spoke unsympathetically, “Now, shut up and go to sleep.”

His head fell against the lighthouse wall, as his eyes closed.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Sera hadn't been able to find Pallas. It was like she had fucking disappeared. 

Frustrated and discouraged, she was heading home, thinking about inviting Rachel over. She wanted to explain what Sean might be. Even though she didn’t know for sure. She didn’t want the girl going after him half-cocked. Like she herself would do.

Her phone drew her eyes as she heard it go off. She slammed on her breaks when she read the message there. Turning the car around, and trying not to freak out, she drove back towards town.

She called Rachel as she drove, but she didn’t answer. She tried to call James, but his voicemail picked up. She focused on driving, and remaining calm, keeping her head clear. She needed to be smart. 

Her phone started ringing. She hoped it was her daughter, but it was the next best thing.

“Hey Chloe, please tell me you’re with Rachel?”

“No, I’m not… that’s why I’m calling,” she said sounding worried, “She took off.”

“Fuck.”

“What… what is it?”

“I got a text from James, it said to come to the lighthouse, that Rachel was in danger. I am on my way there now.”

Chloe swore as well, “She took my truck. We are stranded at Blackwell. Come and get us, we can help.”

Sera debated this, but didn’t want to put them in harm’s way. She knew Sean had a power of some kind, something that could control James’s memory. What if he could control them, or Rachel, or her?

“I… I don’t think that’s wise. If something happened…” Sera, decided, “And I am almost there, I can’t turn around, I’m sorry.”

“Please, Sera…”

“No. But I will call you when I find her, I promise.”

“Wait-“

But she hung up, sure she’d made the right decision. They were barely adults after all.

When she pulled into the lot, her lights illuminated Chloe’s truck. Oh god, she was already here. What if she was too late? She pushed that thought away and parked next to it, jumping out. 

She glanced up the trail, momentarily recalling the fond memories from this place. When she had finally met Rachel after so many years, finding out they were more alike than she could have imagined. But now the place seemed ominous, and quiet. The darkness pressed in on her.

She started to sneak up to the lighthouse, keeping her emotions on edge in case she needed to use her flames. It wasn’t hard; her heart was in her throat.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Max heard Chloe swearing. She’d had to sit down on the curb, trying to conserve her strength. She watched her pacing back and forth, scrolling through her phone, before putting it up to her ear again.

“Mom? Please call me back the second you get this message. I need to use your car. It’s an emergency.”

She hung up and turned to her, “Should I call a taxi? Would that be faster? Or maybe Steph?” she said, appearing leery over endangering the girl. “It’s too far to walk…”

Too much time was passing, time Max couldn’t get back. She felt extremely vulnerable now that it was lost to her. The sun had set, as they waited for a taxi that took forever to show. 

Her body was alert to danger, despite how lethargic it was. She tried again to rewind, just to see if she could and felt a sharp ache behind her eyes. When Victoria had appeared she had felt herself instantly waning, but she had pushed herself to the breaking point, keeping the connection between Rachel and Chloe open. Now she felt like she was floating on the edge of consciousness, all used up.

She looked across campus and saw a man hastily making his way to them. 

“Chloe…” Max called softly, pointing towards him.

The girl’s expression changed to reluctant relief, and then she ran to meet her stepfather.

“I need to use your car,” she said frantically as he met her.

He didn’t stop. She turned and walked with him back towards Max.

“Please, David, I’m not fucking around.”

“I can see that,” he answered, “But you can’t take my car.”

“But-“

He stopped her, “I will drive you.” 

She gave him a quizzical look, and opened her mouth to argue, “You don’t underst-“

“This is about Victoria Chase, isn’t it, and Sean Prescott?” he interrupted again, inspecting her, “And that board in your room…?” 

Her mouth closed tightly, as she glanced over to Max. She gave Chloe an exhausted shrug, unsurprised that he had figured it out. From what she had heard, he was tenacious as hell. And he’d been in the military… 

Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have him with them.

“Help me up, and let’s go,” she said decisively, struggling to stand, “We are wasting time.”

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel walked up the path, keeping her eyes open wide and continually glancing around her. Now that she was here, she was a little uneasy. Night had fallen, and she was adjusting to the dark. She kept as silent as possible, ears alert, but she couldn’t hear anything. Only the noise of the forest, and the distant sound of waves.

She had reached the edge of the tree line and could see the lighthouse. She thought she saw her father, lying down and resting against the side of it. He wasn’t moving. Her first impulse was to run towards him, but recalling the warning they'd received, she checked it.

Hearing footsteps coming up behind her, she turned around, compulsively releasing a gush of flames. Crying out, and stopping, when she saw whom they were headed towards. But Sera caught them, and they burned between their hands, lighting up the woods. Their eyes glowing at each other.

As the darkness returned, her mother reached her. 

“Rachel, I’m so glad I found you,” she whispered, hugging her tightly. “We need to go. Now.”

She shook her head, “We can’t. Dad is over there,” she pointed towards the lighthouse, “He looks hurt or something. And Sean is here somewhere. We can stop him.”

“You mean kill him…” she stated, still looking around in every direction, hand on her back protectively.

She answered defiantly, “Yes.”

She turned Rachel towards her, examining, before saying, “You don’t understand… he is like us...” she hesitated, “I just don’t know exactly how.”

Her mother tried to lead her back down through the forest. Rachel was relieved she was here, but she was done with either of her parents telling her what to do. Sean having an ability didn’t really phase her, it was just an extra incentive for his elimination. And another reason for her to be the one to do it.

Rachel stopped her movements, pushing to the bottom line, “So you want to just leave dad here with him?”

Sera looked torn between her desire to protect Rachel and her worry for James. 

“Fuck. Okay. Just stay next to me, and watch behind us,” she said, carefully edging up through the trees and towards the lighthouse.

Rachel backed up with her, keeping her eyes peeled for movement. When they reached the lighthouse, she couldn’t help glancing quickly behind her. Her father was unconscious, rope around his wrists and ankles. 

Sera kneeled down, and started shaking him, “Jimmy,” she whispered with urgency.

His eyes fluttered, but didn’t open. Sera stood back up, “I don’t like this.”

She told Rachel to try to wake him, while standing guard over them both. She tried, but he wouldn’t stir. Instead, she began to undo the ropes binding him. They were tied tightly, fierce braids of nylon. Finally, she released the knot and got them off his legs. She kneeled forward to get the ones around his wrists.

They both froze when they heard a loud commotion farther down the hill, deeper in the forest. 

“Stay here,” Sera told her, edging forward so she could see better.

“Wait… Mom.”

Sera stopped, glancing back at her.

Rachel looked up from the ropes, staring into her eyes, “Be careful.”

She smiled at her reassuringly, nodded, and kept going. Disappearing slowly into the woods.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Sean waited for the woman to walk away, watching from the lighthouse. She hadn't been part of his plan. Another twist. He was also unaccustomed to not being in his woods, but this new scenery was thrilling.

James had made the mistake of coming after him today, so everything was being pushed up schedule. The stupid man had broken into his house, thinking Sean wouldn’t notice. He had waited for night to fall and then brought him to the lookout point. No one ever came here after dark. 

He had seen the girl arrive and had almost started down the stairs, when the path had lit up with a flash of fire. Intrigued, he had stopped to look. A woman had caught the girl’s flames, completely unharmed. He had grinned excitedly when he saw who it was.

Like mother, like daughter. 

They had arrived at where he had left James, and he hadn't been able to see them properly anymore. He’d restrained himself from moving, knowing he should force them to separate. He wasn’t sure if he could take them on at the same time. 

His berserker heritage was flowing through his veins, fully engaged. He had grabbed a stray piece of wood, ripping it up from the floor, launched it out off the side and into the forest. It had made a loud noise, crashing far away.

He’d started to inch down the stairs after the woman had disappeared into the trees. Moving quietly out of the doorway, and around the curve of the wall. He peeked out carefully. The girl was preoccupied, trying to untie her father. 

He had purposely made the knot around the wrists more difficult, figuring she would grow persistently distracted at having already loosened one of them. It was working. 

His mind started to cloud in anticipation. He crouched and started to keenly move towards her, hands reaching out. Before he got to her, he heard distant footsteps running.

“Rachel!” the woman screamed from far away.

The girl turned around, saw him, and pushed him away from her. He fell backwards, but stayed on his feet. She raised her hand, eyes flashing. 

“Stop!” he screamed in command, using all that he had left. 

The girl hesitated, dropping her hand.

He jumped and rolled to the side when he felt a warmth growing behind him. As he fell, something large and bright flew by his side. It landed on the ground before him, a large fire blossoming. He regained his footing, and ran backwards. As flames started trailing towards him, he pulled out his knife. The same one he had used to cut the hair from so many girls before this. He gripped it tightly behind his back. Adrenaline spiking, he scanned the trees, focusing on the woman.

Walking through the forest towards him, her eyes were bright and alive, shining yellow. She gave him a victorious smirk, as he felt his feet growing hot. He ignored the pain and threw the knife as hard as he could. It launched through the distance, shining in the moonlight. 

Her smile faltered as she dropped to her knees. 

“No!” The girl screamed desperately.

The flames receded, as he moved into the woods towards the dying woman. Reaching her, he wrapped his hands around her neck, feeling her energy fill him. A reckless force enveloped his entire being. Heat radiating up his arms and running through his veins. It felt amazing, and powerful. With a sudden regret, he felt Beverly’s power leaving as the fire took its’ place. 

Suddenly, he realized the girl could move again. He dropped the woman’s body, and turned to her. She was already in the forest. Angry tears were running down her face, flames radiating around her as she moved towards him. But as the blaze reached out trying to burn him, they both realized he was impervious to it. All he felt was a tickling warmth. He laughed as it spun brightly around him. Squinting his eyes, he could barely see through the fire surrounding him. He noticed that the trees were catching. 

The girl was losing it, setting everything aflame. He wondered if she was even aware of it. A bright inferno encircled her, growing in size. 

Far away, he heard the sound of a car door slamming, and people yelling. He backed away, through the blaze. Using it to hide him from view, but the girl barely seemed to notice.

She cleared a path and fell to her knees next to her mother, a ring of fire spinning away around them. He crept away from the cyclone and back towards the lighthouse, escaping out the other side.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Max got out seconds after Chloe, screaming at her to stop. The fire was growing out from the top, radiating downwards, and eating the forest. It was moving rapidly. 

Watch for the burn. 

She decided to trust her future self. She grabbed Chloe’s wrist, almost falling forward as she kept trying to walk. She stopped and turned towards her, eyes fearful.

“Chloe, listen, you need to run.” 

David was standing half out of the driver’s side, looking up. He could sense the danger, “Both of you, get back in the car. Now.”

She pushed Chloe towards the car; she stumbled backwards through the open door, looking dazed. When Max closed the door sharply, she started to freak out, telling her to get in as well.

She shook her head and backed away. With the fire starting to reach them, David had no choice but to drive off, restraining Chloe as she tried to get back out. Max turned to face it, holding out her left hand. She used all her willpower and self-preservation, and stopped time.

Her brain ached sharply, almost debilitating her. She staggered around the frozen flames, sporadically placed. She could see the wide spaces between them, where she could make her way forward. She started to run, eyes squinting against the pain in her head.

She made her way up the path, dodging through the forest. As she avoided the blaze, she noticed the fire was formed in rotation, so she moved towards the epicenter. 

She reached a clearing near the top, and her heart broke. Rachel was mid sob, collapsed on her mother’s chest. Max saw with relief that the area around them was free of flames for several feet. Even through the throbbing ache in her brain, she knew she couldn’t resume until she was inside it. She didn’t want to get burned. It was already uncomfortably hot. 

An incapacitating pain shot through her head. She couldn’t take any more. She stumbled into the clearing, letting go of time. 

She fell forward, catching herself on one knee, “Rachel…” she tried to speak, but her voice was too quiet.

She tried to get back up, but faltered, landing on her hands. She sat back, and took a deep breath, coughing from the smoke. She hoped David had driven fast enough. She was glad he had come; Chloe would never have gone on her own. 

She got a foot underneath her but failed to stand, feeling like she was going to pass out. Max called out to Rachel again, louder this time. But she was lost in torment. The cyclone of fire circled outward around the edge, feeding off her grief. Growing huge.

Fuck, she was so close. She had to stop her. Move.

Using every ounce of strength she had, she forced herself to stand and staggered forward, eyes clouding. When she reached them, she collapsed next to the girl. She put her hand on her shoulder, and pulled her up. Rachel let herself be taken, but her eyes were shut tight, as tears streamed down her cheeks. The fire was still being nourished by her anguish, destroying everything around them. Max felt like she was in the eye of a hurricane.

She placed her hands on either side of her face, barely noticing their light with the blazing brightness surrounding them. She had hoped this would help her as well, but she still felt completely drained. Like there was nothing there to replenish.

Rachel’s eyes opened, but the yellow at their center was wild and dancing. Now that they were touching, their intangible bond linked, Max could feel how utterly devastated she was. It was all encompassing. She said her name again, and pulled her into a hug. Rachel wept into her shoulder as the fire roared around them.

Max’s vision was starting to grow dark, as she struggled to remain conscious. She pulled the girl away, shaking her and telling her to stop, trying to get her to gain awareness. But nothing worked, the flaming storm continued. So she did the only thing she could think of. She kissed her.

As she pressed her lips against hers, she noticed Rachel finally responding. The bright orange light around them flickered, and started to turn blue. She took her hand and broke their kiss. 

Max wavered long enough to make sure that she had regained control, and could see her sitting in front of her. The blonde glanced around, fearful of the destruction she had caused, and for Max’s safety. The wildfire continued burning on it’s own, destroying the trees that hadn't already turned into black husks. But it was no longer violently mounting in strength.

With a relieved breath, Max finally gave in to the pain and mercifully slipped into unconsciousness.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Pallas felt Sean’s influence waning, and saw the fire burning from far away. She turned her back on it, knowing what it meant. 

She had warned Sera. But that still didn’t stop the vile self-hatred rising in the back of her throat. 

None of this was easy. Especially not for the girl. 

She knew what that all consuming loss felt like, having experienced it herself several times. Starting as a teenager, when she’d had to flee from her home and her family, because they had discovered what she could do. Ending up homeless and alone in America, just another street kid, using her power to survive. Having trouble even knowing why she wanted to. And then discovering someone who made all that grief and despair disappear. 

Only to lose her too.

But she had followed the string, all the way to this moment. She saw it branching out in front of her, the various choices and paths. 

She had to stay strong. She knew Sean could no longer control her. And now she could focus on the final goal.

She would see her again. She would see them both again.


	13. Chapter 13

Chloe was sitting in a chair next to the bed, still trying to wrap her head around everything. It had all happened so fast, and then slowed down to a crawl. She fucking hated waiting. If there was a hell, it was filled with waiting rooms.

She didn’t know if it was coincidence or fate, but Max was in the same hospital room that Rachel had been in when she got stabbed. It had been almost twenty hours and she was still unconscious. The doctors didn’t know why she hadn't woken yet. They said she only had mild smoke inhalation. Of course, no one had revealed the whole truth to them, only that she had been near the wildfire when it had started. She looked so lovely lying there, head on the pillow, sleeping peacefully. Chloe kept praying to a god she didn’t believe in, that she would please wake up. 

There was one upside to Max being unconscious; she didn’t have to wait, and watch. 

It was just like last time. News reporters discussing what could have started the blaze. The firefighters coming in and out of the hospital, oxygen masks on their faces. As far as they knew no one had been burned too badly. But the fire had caught with the lack of rain, and traveled east, dangerously close to Arcadia Bay. Working through the night, the crews had contained it, and the evacuation of the north part of town had been lifted. But it had eaten down the cliff side, and destroyed the forest.

One reporter on scene mentioned how it had seemed to die down soon after it had started. That if it hadn't extinguished like that there wouldn’t be an Arcadia Bay anymore. Experts theorized it must have been lucky wind patterns that had curbed the blaze. But Chloe knew better... Max had saved the town. 

Please wake up.

Rachel was in a daze, sitting next to her. She hadn't needed to be admitted. She was fine. At least physically. Chloe had tried to get her to talk, but she had said very little since she and David had found them, stumbling out onto the road. James carrying Max, with Rachel trailing silently behind them, tear tracks streaking through the soot on her face. 

James had been acting stoic and reserved, but Chloe had been able to tell it was a cover. He had just been being strong for his daughter’s benefit. When they had pulled up, Chloe had jumped out asking him what had happened. He had answered in a stunned, stifled manner, saying Sera was dead, and he had escaped the flames by taking refuge in the lighthouse. And then he had put Max in the car, and told David to take her to the hospital. 

Rachel had wanted to stay with him, but he had hugged her close and convinced her to go with them. He had to call the police, and didn’t want them there for that. As they had driven away, she had put her hand on the glass, looking back. Chloe had turned as well, and they both saw him collapse onto the side of the road, body wracking with sobs. Rachel had fallen out of the car while it was still moving in order to reach him.

Max made a noise, so Chloe stood up and went to her, glad for the distraction. Rachel looked up hopefully, but nothing else happened. The blonde put her face back into her hands, and let out a quivering breath.

“This is all my fault…” she said, voice breaking and tears falling through her fingers. 

Chloe turned to her, but didn’t know what to say. So she just held her close as she cried. 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Max was lost in a cloud of grey. It reminded her of Chloe’s eyes. She heard a strange noise behind her, like the flap of wings. She turned around towards it.

Slowly, the mist began to clear. She found herself in the woods, on the edge of a lake. It was peaceful and serene, sun casting a golden glow. Across the surface of the water, she saw thousands of blue butterflies resting, bathing in the light.

She stepped backwards, and the crunch of her footsteps made them take flight. Suddenly, the sun was blocked out by a myriad of silhouettes. Her ears filled with the melody of their combined wings.

Mouth opening in awe at the sight before her, she watched the countless creatures flutter across the sky. The lake calming back into glass, creating a mirror effect of their scenic flight.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” 

An old woman was standing next to her, smiling, staring up at the butterflies.

“Yes,” Max answered, glancing briefly at her, before looking back to the sky.

They watched together for a while, in tranquil silence. She had never felt so calm, like she could stay there forever, studying their harmonious flight.

“Do you know who I am?” the old woman asked her.

“You’re me.” Max stated, still looking up. “Am I dead?”

“No,” the old woman gave a melancholic sigh, “We always seem to keep on living.”

“Why are you here?” she asked her.

“Because you’re here,” she answered.

“Can I wake up?”

“If you want to.”

Max considered this, but it was so peaceful here, “What should I do next?”

The old woman looked uncertain, “I don’t know… your timeline is quite different from mine.”

She looked over at her, intrigued, “What happened in yours?”

Her face grew sad as she answered, “Heartbreak.”

“How is any of this possible?” she asked, wonderingly.

The old woman chuckled at her, “That’s way too big of a question...”

Max waited for her to say more. But when she finally spoke again she got even more confused.

“There are as many Max’s as there are butterflies,” she said pointing out at them. 

She was about to ask her to explain when a sound broke through the veil. A soft crying that penetrated the sky, and struck the saddest chord in her heart. The woman didn’t react; she didn’t seem to hear it. But Max did, and she couldn’t help but follow it. The lake and woods disappeared, and the mist returned. She was alone again as grey fog swirled around her, concealing everything. 

She realized she was lying down, comfortable in soft sheets, head resting on a pillow. She opened her eyes, and found herself in a hospital room. She turned and saw Rachel next to her, softly crying into Chloe’s shoulder.

“Rach…” Max said quietly. “I’m so sorry… about your mom.”

They both turned. Rachel got up and threw her arms around her, ignoring the light it produced. Chloe walked over and closed the blinds to make sure no one could see in. Max looked over the blonde’s shoulder at her, and gave her a reassuring nod. She grinned with relief.

“I’ll go get the nurse…” she said, sneaking out the door. 

“Oh my god, Max, you're okay.” Rachel said, pulling away and wiping her face, “I thought you were going to die.”

Max took her hand, voice raspy and told her that she was fine. They heard the door opening, and Rachel tried to take her hand away, but Max stopped her. She had a new clarity in her mind. Thinking of the serenity she felt looking up at all those butterflies taking flight, she flipped a switch and turned off the energy flowing between them. 

As the nurse came in, the blonde gave her a teary smile, and put her other hand on top of theirs. 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel kept replaying all the things she could’ve done differently. And there were so fucking many. She kept thinking of all the various scenarios that could have played out, getting so lost in them, that she would start to think they were real. Only to come crashing back into the truth. Sera was dead, and it had been her fault. 

If she had just stayed at the dorm. If she had called her first. If she hadn't gone after Sean at all. If they all had gone together. She would be alive.

Or maybe, her dad would have died. Maybe, he still would have texted Sera. Maybe, if she had brought Chloe and Max with her, they could have stopped Sean. Or maybe, he would have killed them too. 

It was like her brain was trying to convince herself that she’d had no other option. Firing neurons and destroying synapses in order to cope with this overwhelming regret. 

She needed her back, she thought, as she stared around at her mother’s kitchen, unsure what she had walked in here for.

Shit, is this how Chloe has felt for the last five years? She can’t even take one week. 

It was like a wide chasm had split open her life, leaving a vast, scary abyss behind. And she was standing at its’ edge peeking over, unable to see the other side.

Realizing she needed some air, she had left.

She had tried going home but her dad wasn’t there, and she was having trouble being around Rose. She was having trouble with fucking everything. So she was walking, trying in vain to distract herself. 

She thought about trying to go to Chloe’s, but it was late, and she didn’t want to be questioned by David. She could feel the interrogation coming, even though she and her father had already gone to the police. Giving them the board and all the evidence that they had collected, telling them a version of the truth.

Sean was a wanted man now. For murder and arson. That was the one upside. The victim’s families would finally begin to get closure.

She thought about all of them, the grief branching out from each, touching a variety of people. Possibly even right now. She wondered if they were all connected in this moment of misery together, a few minutes shared by strangers across the map. 

Sean had disappeared. Which meant he was still out there. Using her mother’s gift… 

Because that was the last thing she remembered. Trying to burn him, and him just laughing. 

Fuck. That made her so angry. She shook off the flames as she walked, pulling air into her lungs. It was late, and growing later as she tried to divert her thoughts. She glanced down at her phone as she strolled the town aimlessly. 12am, 1am… 

She stopped when she reached the bay, staring up at the lighthouse and burnt cliff side. The destroyed forest surrounding it was a drippy inky black in the darkness. 

Look at what she had done. Almost killed thousands of people. Almost burned the whole town. Good job, Rachel. As if killing her mother wouldn’t have been enough…

She turned away from it and kept moving, unable to keep still. 

She started to imagine another scenario that actually pacified her. One where she convinced Max to go back in time. Jump into one of those photos of hers. Give her past self a dire warning. Like the ones from the day of the parade, when she was with her. And Max could just tell her the truth. Rachel would believe her. She would do things differently, and her mom would be alive again.

How do you ask someone to go back and change time for you? Ask her for a fucking birthday present? 

She wasn’t sure what she was going to say yet. It was a lot to ask, especially after what she had already done. But she was too tired to walk anymore. She found her feet had taken her to Blackwell. Taking out her phone, she made her way across campus.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Max was lying awake, stuck on a cycle of similar thoughts. 

Did she have to be in the photos in order to go through them? Could she only travel through the ones she had taken? She only had a few of herself since she had gotten her powers. She chastised herself again for not taking more.

Which photo would she go back through? There were the ones from the parade... But Victoria had already died at that point. If she was going to go back in time, she should save both of them. Right? 

And then some other Max had already gone back to two of them. What would even happen if she tried to go to the same one… some sort of paradox? 

She definitely didn’t want to mess with the selfie from the day her powers first arrived. What if she lost them completely? 

Then there was the one from her dorm when she was with Rachel and Chloe. If she could go back she would tell them something more specific than ‘watch for the burn’ and ‘run’. Though, ‘they are going to use your father’ was pretty clear… in retrospect. But what would happen if she told them exactly when and where? 

She had taken a picture of herself on the bus ride here. That would probably be the safest bet, going back and writing herself another letter. But, what would she be returning to? If they’d somehow managed to stop or… kill... him, would they still have gone to the police and given them all that evidence? Would everything else have played out like it had? She hated not knowing the consequences. What if she made everything worse?

While getting lost in the different possibilities, the jarring noise of her phone vibrating on the bedside called her back. She glanced over at the message on the screen, squinting at it’s light. It was from Rachel.

‘Are you awake?’

She sat up and typed a response, ‘Yeah. Can’t sleep.’

‘Me neither.’

She thought about asking how she was doing, but she already knew. Shitty. So instead she typed.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Walking.’

‘You can come over again, if you want.’

‘Unlock the door?’

She should have figured, Rachel was already here. She had crashed on the futon the last two nights. Showing up late, and leaving early. Max thought it was the only time she had really slept since the fire.

She opened the door for her, and they made their way back to her room. As they walked down the hall, Rachel glanced at Victoria’s door, but didn’t say anything. 

She collapsed onto the futon, silent, still caught up in her head. Max figured if she wanted to talk, she would. So she sat on her bed, cross-legged, and studied her photo wall. Contemplating what she would write in the letter. Luckily, her journal had been next to her in her camera bag, so she wouldn’t have to frantically ask a stranger on the bus to relay her message of danger. That would be awkward…

They both spent some time lost in thought. She started to think the blonde had fallen asleep, when she suddenly spoke.

“How’s Chloe?” she asked distractedly.

“She’s okay…” Max answered, looking over at her, “Worried about you.”

She sighed, “I know…I just… I need some space… “

“She understands, we both do… “ Max said, stretching out, “Chloe especially so, with her dad and all…” 

She nodded slowly, and then grew pensive. “It’s just… I can sense how concerned she is… watching me… like I am going to explode or something… And then it makes me think about how she has every right to feel that way, cause that’s what I essentially did. And her truck… god I feel so bad about that…” 

Rachel covered her eyes with her forearm, “I almost destroyed everything,” she said, shaking her head, “If it hadn't been for you…”

Max knew this was the case, but didn’t want to say so. She had come close to not making it up there, and she didn’t want to imagine what would have happened if she hadn't. She waited for the blonde to say more, but she grew silent again.

She tried to pull her back out, “Where have you been?” 

“At Sera’s…” Rachel paused, “It’s… all I have…” she trailed off. 

Max thought about her being alone there, surrounded by her mother’s things. Even if it was cathartic, it made her sad.

Rachel looked hesitantly at her, sitting up and opening her lips to say more. Max was waiting for her to ask. She was surprised she hadn't yet. But instead, the blonde shut her mouth again, and sat back with closed eyes. So she decided to do it for her.

“Do you want me try and go back?”

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

She had just decided not to bring it up when Max had stolen the question right out of her mind. Full of gratitude, she opened her eyes.

“Would you really do that for me?” Rachel asked, wiping away a tear that had snuck out and rolled down her cheek. 

She tried to contain the hope rising in her chest. The possibility that this could all be a bad dream that she could wake from.

Max spoke sincerely, “Yes.”

Rachel got up and sat next to her on the bed, “Are you sure? What if it’s too much and you don’t wake up again?”

“I think this is different. It will just be me… Plus, she said I could wake up if I wanted to...”

“She?”

Max began to tell her about what she had seen while she was asleep in the hospital. And who had been there. She let it all out in a long stream, like she had wanted to tell her for a while, but had been waiting. Rachel wished she hadn’t. She needed the distraction. It was all she craved.

“She said there were as many Max’s as there were butterflies… and then I heard you…” Max said with wounded eyes. “And so I woke up.”

“Wow…” she said, deciphering what that could mean.

“Yeah…” she agreed. “Consequences of time traveling I guess…”

Rachel leaned back against the photo wall, thinking, “So… if you do go back and change something, will I forget all of this? Become another Rachel?”

Max sat back next to her, looking glum, “I… yes. I think so. At least, in some ways. And the farther back I go, the more potential there are for changes.”

“Weird… I wonder what will happen to this me…” Rachel said, slightly disconcerted, but also relieved. She didn’t want to remember any of this. 

Well… except maybe one small part. But even that was tainted by circumstance. 

As Max grabbed a photo from her bedside drawer, Rachel put her hand on top of the girl’s and stopped her.

“Wait.”

She looked up at her questioningly.

“Are you going to do it right now?” Rachel asked, surprised.

She shrugged and nodded, showing her the photo. It was a selfie she had taken on the bus. Max turned it back towards her and started to stare at it.

Rachel grabbed it from her, “Hold on,” she said putting it back on the bedside.

“What is it?”

“I… “ she hesitated, trying to phrase it properly. “If I am going to lose all this... I want to do something first…”

She sat up on her knees, turning to face her. Max raised her eyebrows, about to ask her what she meant. Before she could speak, Rachel leaned in, hair dropping forward off her shoulder, and kissed her. 

Her mind finally started to quiet down as she felt her hesitantly kiss back. And then it turned off completely as the girl parted her lips sweetly, and deepened it. As Max pulled her in closer, leaning back onto the pillow, Rachel fell forward, catching herself on her hands and trapping the girl underneath her. 

She looked down at her blue eyes, smiling. Max pushed her hair out of her face for her, smirking back. They gazed at each other, savoring the moment. The brunette slowly ran her fingers down the arm holding Rachel up. When she reached her wrist she went back up, so softly that it tickled. She giggled at the touch and then sharply inhaled as Max turned the energy on between them. 

Light trickled out from the contact as she trailed her hand along her shoulder, and gradually across the exposed skin of her collarbone. Rachel saw the glow reflected in her eyes and shivered as she continued. Tracing up her neck, and then gently grazing her thumb across her bottom lip. Their touch producing an insight into each other’s desire. 

Rachel leaned down and kissed her again, feeling the force surge through her. Gradually increasing in intensity as Max matched her pace, wrapping her arms around her neck. They both had to shut their eyes against the luminous flashes that their lips created. She couldn’t help but moan into her mouth at the combination of lust and escalating power, and felt the girl smile against her. Just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, Max turned it back off.

Gradually, she broke the kiss and lay down next to her, breathing heavily. The brunette rolled onto her side to face her. She watched as the girl bit her lip, the small involuntary gesture sending a wave of attraction through her.

“You are so fucking hot.” Rachel told her, placing her hand on her hip and playing with the bottom of her PJ shorts.

Max laughed out loud, “You are one to talk…”

She smiled at her, and then looked away disconcertedly, forcing her hand back to her own side, “It’s just… that first kiss… it was all destruction and chaos. I wanted you to have something sweeter.”

“Well, thanks…” Max said with a sly grin, drawing her eyes back to hers, “That was much better.”

“Was?” she said jokingly.

Amused, the girl leaned towards her, tentatively touching their lips again. She let Max take the lead, as she rested her head on the pillow. She felt a moment of sadness when she realized she wouldn’t remember any of this. And then the brunette ran her hand up her thigh, and all thought ceased. 

They made out while Max teased her fingers up her side and down her stomach, exploring her body. Her timid touches made Rachel start to lose control, so she forced herself to break away. The loss of contact brought back some of her brain function. As much as she wanted to continue this… they had to stop.

She saw that she felt the same, and was grateful. She wouldn’t have to explain, she already knew the reasons why. The girl put her hand up, and Rachel intertwined her fingers in hers. She jumped and pulled away laughing when the brunette unexpectedly shot out the energy at her. Chuckling, Max put her head down on the pillow. 

Rachel yawned and curled up, thinking she might finally be able to sleep, despite the heat still crawling across her skin. She closed her eyes, and wrapped her arm around the brunette, who cuddled up against her, still absently tracing fingers across her skin. They both fell asleep soon after, the photo on the bedside momentarily forgotten.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Chloe woke up in the middle of the night, feeling surprisingly turned on. She didn’t know where it came from. She hadn't been dreaming. It faded slowly as she got up to get a glass of water. 

When she came back to her room, she laid down again, staring over at her computer’s screensaver. She wondered where Rachel was right now. She hadn't seen her in a few days. But everyone had their own way of dealing with shit… Rachel’s was withdrawing. She had realized that it wasn’t going to be her to pull the girl out of it this time. Hopefully, Max was up to the task… 

She got up and irritably turned off the screen, before collapsing back onto her bed.

Chloe was grieving for Sera as well. 

She rolled onto her side, and started to remember a night a few years back when she and David had gotten into a huge fight, and her mom had just taken his side like usual. 

She had stormed out and gone to find Rachel at Sera’s house, but she had already been asleep when she got there. So she had ended up venting to Sera as they smoked on the front porch. The woman had patiently paid attention, as she’d gotten the angst and aggravation out of her system. 

That was the first of many times, once she’d realized that she could talk to her and she would actually listen. Unlike her own mother, who didn’t seem to realize why bringing David into their lives had sucked so much ass. 

Sera had understood, sharing stories from her own childhood misery and giving insightful advice. She had helped her feel less alone. And to see things from her mother’s point of view. Sort of. She still didn’t understand how her mom could possibly find that man attractive... he could be such a self-righteous dick.

She knew that he was another reason for Rachel’s absence, and she definitely understood why she wanted to avoid David. He had been questioning Chloe every chance he got. He wanted to know how Max had survived the fire. 

They had avoided the blaze by seconds, driving away as it licked the bumper of his car. David had saved her life by restraining her, but that didn’t mean she had to tell him everything. She was grateful that he had been there though, even if he was an ass hat, because that moment had been awful. 

She had been sure Max was dead, since she hadn't been able to even rewind back at the school. But then she had vanished and a glimmer of hope had blossomed, so she had stopped struggling against him. The proximity of the flames had been intensely close. They’d had to keep driving south in order to avoid it. When the fire suddenly lost all its’ gusto, David had been totally flabbergasted. Fortunately, he had remained relatively calm, his military background helping to keep him rational. She’d told him to circle around, and he had listened.

But after the hospital he had cornered her and demanded an explanation. She played it off like she didn’t know what he was talking about, sticking to the story James had come up with. She had enough to worry about without trying to appease David. But she knew he wouldn’t let it go that easily.

She grabbed her ashtray and lit a joint, smoking it slowly as she stared up at the ceiling. She thought about Sera… and her truck. Tears trickled from the corner of her eyes, landing on the pillow. 

Max had told her how she had stopped Rachel from burning everything, but she hadn't been fast enough to save her beast.

A wave of sorrow rolled through her when she thought about her poor truck. She had towed it to the garage, but it wasn’t looking good. It was like losing a close friend. She impatiently wiped away the tears, trying to stop herself from crying, but between that and Sera…well… it was hard.

She would still try to salvage what she could from it. Steve thought it was a lost cause, but she had a lot of trouble letting go of things, and it hurt to see her beast like that, so she would try.

If Rachel had just waited…

No. She couldn’t start thinking like that. The girl had learned a vicious lesson about her impulsivity, and Chloe wouldn’t make her feel any worse than she already did.

She finished the joint, mind clouded, and put the ashtray back. She laid back and tried to avoid the depressing thoughts keeping her awake by reaching out to her dad. She wanted to see him. She closed her eyes, and started to drift.

Seeking her father’s loving presence, she fell asleep, hopeful.

She dreamed she was on a high bridge in the city. It was snowing gently. She realized with shock that she was standing on the edge of the railing looking out. She stepped down carefully onto the sidewalk, and glanced around her. 

The bridge slowly vanished and changed. She found herself in a small apartment in a different city. The light shining in from the windows was warm and inviting. As was the energy reaching out to her.

Turning around, she saw a much younger Sera standing at the sink with the water running. She didn’t seem to notice her sudden appearance, just continued washing the plate in her hand, humming contently. Chloe was shocked by how much she looked like Rachel. 

She watched as she rinsed the dishes and sang softly under her breath. Sera turned off the tap, ears perking, when she heard a cooing across the apartment. Chloe followed as she made her way into a small bedroom, seeing a baby standing up in the crib, gripping the side. She was exceptionally cute. The instant Rachel saw her mother enter, she gave a wide smile, bouncing on her legs.

“Mama!” 

Sera froze, and then grinned, she scooped the child up into her arms, “Did you just say Mama?”

The baby laughed giddily. Sera twirled around with her making her giggle more. Chloe grinned, feeling a rush of joy run through her as Rachel said it again. Her mother looking completely delighted, telling her how smart she was.

“Yes, that’s right, I’m your mama,” Sera said holding her close and chuckling happily.

The dream started to fade as Chloe woke up to the daylight, her heart filled to the brim. It made her feel better, and she got up earlier than she usually would. 

She made breakfast for her mom, and surprised her with it when she came down the stairs. They had a nice morning together before they both left for work. She even saved a plate for David.

As her mother dropped her off at the garage, she told her how much she loved her.

“Okay, what’s up with you?” her mom asked skeptically.

“Nothing,” she said with a smile. “Just… thank you. For everything you’ve done. I’m sorry I’m a pain in the ass sometimes.“

Her mother gave her a hug, and then drove off with a grin on her face. Chloe realized she had just given her the gift of a good mood. And wasn’t that something we should try to give everyone? As she walked into the garage, she thought again of her dream. 

She was glad Sera had shared it with her. 

Her good spirits lasted her until the afternoon. But then she slipped a bolt and skidded her knuckles against the destroyed engine of her truck. She threw the wrench away from her, swearing in frustration. There was no point, the old beast was done for.

She stepped away, giving up. She grabbed her cigarettes and went outside, trying to accept that there was nothing she could do. As she smoked, she noticed a woman walking down the sidewalk towards the garage. She looked familiar. When she came up to her hesitantly, it suddenly clicked. 

“Sorry about your truck,” she said, glancing in the open door behind her.

Chloe took a step back, “You… you were in that picture with Sean. The same one Beverly was in.”

As she said the girl’s name, the woman’s face lost its composure, eyebrows turning upwards, eyes shining. But just as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone. She looked at her steadily. 

Chloe couldn’t help feeling a little disoriented by those eyes. They were the most stunning she had ever seen. The sapphire ring around the pupil highlighting the indigo fading into purple around the edge. They were dazzling in the afternoon light, almost otherworldly. She shuffled her feet, and stared down at her cigarette to avoid them.

“I was, yes,” was all the woman offered.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Pallas.”

Wait…

“Sera’s friend?” Chloe asked. It had to be, that wasn’t a very common name.

She nodded, eyes growing sad.

“But Rachel said… you can see the future…” she said starting to get mad, flicking her cigarette. “Why didn’t you stop it? You could have saved her.” 

Pallas recoiled from her anger, finally breaking eye contact. “Sera knew what would happen, I warned her. She stayed anyway.”

“But, wouldn’t you know that she wouldn’t listen to your warning?”

She hesitated before answering, “Yes…But I can’t “see the future” like you are thinking...”

She didn’t elaborate. Chloe sighed in frustration and then asked, “Why are you here?”

The woman straightened up, speaking earnestly, “You need to stop them from going back in time. It will just fuck everything up.”

“What? How do you know they are even going to try?”

Chloe and Max had discussed it at length, but they’d both agreed it was up to Rachel to ask. She didn’t think they would do it without telling her first though.

“Because the string is growing thinner, like it’s dying or tangling or …” she answered, slightly exasperated, “I don’t know how to explain it in terms you would understand.”

“There’s no way. Rachel won’t be okay with that,” Chloe gave a humorless chuckle as she imagined trying to stop Rachel from saving her mother.

“Then you need to convince her,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because.”

“You aren't going to tell me?”

She shook her head, “I can’t get too involved… but… tell her what she seeks isn’t in the past. It’s in the future.” 

“Okay…” she said, gaining hope from what that could mean.

Pallas paused, looking awkwardly down at her feet, “And, you… you will have to forgive them…”

“Forgive them? What are you talking about?”

She paused, gazing at her calculatingly, and then started to back away, “I’m sorry I can’t say more.” 

“What the hell?” she asked, baffled by all of this.

She started to walk away with a small wave, “Until next time, Chloe Price.”

She sighed and leaned against the wall, slightly amused. She didn’t know what to think of her.

Starting to light another cigarette, she paused and called out to the woman, “Wait!”

Pallas stopped and looked back at her.

She crossed her fingers, “Can I… is there any way for me to fix my truck?”

“No,” she answered right away, and then kept walking.

Chloe winced and then went back into the garage, dolefully asking Steve if she could buy one of his cars. 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel was still there when she woke up. Max hadn't been sure she would be.

They spent the morning together, a different sort of energy between them. More affectionate and relaxed. When they got ready, Rachel had used the same mirror as her, even though there was a row of others. But Max liked it, the soft touches as they moved around each other. The smell of her hair as she leaned past to put on her mascara. 

They made their way back to her room, and Rachel had delved into her closet. 

“So you like deer?” she said, teasing her about her t-shirts, before stripping off her own to try one on. 

“Yeah, that one on the beach you made was so awesome,” Max said, smiling at the memories while trying not to stare.

“Weird coincidence… it just sort of popped into my head,” she said, and then reconsidered, “Or maybe it wasn’t a coincidence at all.”

She didn’t think it was either, “Can you… do you feel me in the same way I feel you?”

“When we touch? Yeah, definitely,” she said, looking in the mirror. She took off the shirt, and grabbed another. 

Pausing with a thoughtful expression, Rachel turned and added, “When that happened… the fire… That’s what helped me come to. I could feel your concern, and your pain,” she gazed at her admiringly, “And your determination.”

It was the first time Rachel had really talked about that night. 

As she watched her go back to the closet, finding her tank tops, Max asked tentatively, “Did you black out?” 

“Sort of… After Sean… ” She swallowed, trying to explain, “After he killed her… I was so fucking shattered…” she said, choking on the word. “And furious… at myself, at him… I wanted him dead, destroyed, but it didn’t work… and then… something else took over, and I let it… because it meant I didn’t have to feel anymore…”

She caringly nodded as she let Rachel talk. The girl seemed more like herself, less closed off than she had been since the fire. Max knew it was because she had given her hope. She was pleased that she could provide her with a respite, but was also a little worried that she wouldn’t be able to deliver. What if it didn’t work? Would she disappear into herself again?

The blonde put on one of her tank tops, and asked her how she looked. She noticed that she seemed skinnier, and wondered when she had eaten last. But Max just smiled and told her she was beautiful. 

She went over to the bedside and picked up the girl’s earring, stepping close to her. She drew back her hair as she put it on for her, trailing her fingers down her neck when she was done. She was having trouble keeping her hands off of her.

Rachel smirked playfully when they parted, staring at her. Max cleared her throat, looking away, and said, “Before I go back with the photo… we need to tell Chloe about it first.”

“I know, I was thinking the same thing,” she answered, smile fading, “I… I should call her.”

“Okay,” Max agreed going to her bed, and sitting on her hands.

The blonde picked up her phone and dialed, but Chloe didn’t answer. 

“She must be at work.”

“Right.” 

Rachel looked like she was about to sit down next to her, than changed her mind amusedly, and went for the futon instead.

Max gazed at her as she sat down, meeting her eyes. God, she wanted to kiss her again so fucking bad.

The blonde stood back up, “Okay… we have to get out of this room.”

Max laughed, glad she wasn’t the only one feeling this way, “Let’s go get some food, and then we can meet Chloe at the garage.” 

She grabbed the photo and carefully put it in her bag. They left the dorm and started walking to the bus stop.

When they arrived downtown, they headed to the diner. Rachel seemed famished, finishing off her plate before Max had even really started. 

“When was the last time you ate?” she asked her.

Rachel shrugged, “This is the first time I’ve been hungry in a while...”

The blonde stole some of her fries, making her laugh. As she finished her food they chatted about trivial things, avoiding the subject of the photo. It was refreshing to talk about normal stuff. 

Joyce came over and sat with them for a bit. She was in a good mood, and put her arm around Rachel, comfortingly. Telling her that she was there, if she needed her. The blonde thanked her, and then diligently changed the subject. The lunch rush started trickling in, so Joyce got back up. She smiled at them both, and told them that lunch was on her. Rachel tried to argue, but she refused to let them pay, walking away before they could try to change her mind.

As they started to talk about music, Max glanced out the window, eyes catching when she thought she saw someone she recognized. But then Rachel pulled her attention back, asking her what songs she knew on the guitar, and she forgot about it.

They left in high spirits, heading to the garage, joking around with each other as they walked. Max got Rachel laughing as she told her about how she had gone to a fancy restaurant in Seattle and then rewound to get out of the bill.

“And then I was back in front of the hostess stand, and she was asking again if I wanted to be seated, and I realized I still had their napkin in my hand… I hid it behind me and slowly backed out.” She chuckled, shaking her head, “She probably thought I was crazy…”

Rachel teasingly told her she was crazy, and then took her hand. She stopped and pulled Max towards her, holding her shoulders.

“Listen. I… I’m not sure what it’s going to be like when you come back, but promise you’ll tell the other me about everything? About this timeline, and what happened and why?” Rachel asked. “Tell me that it was all my fault, that I need to control myself better, and gain some fucking perspective.”

“Rach… it wasn’t all your fault, you can’t-“

She stopped her by putting a finger to her lips, “Shh… promise me, please… say that I told you to tell me.”

“I… I promise,” she said, nodding, taking advantage of being so close to her and twirling a piece of her hair. 

She felt the urge to kiss her again, while she still could, knowing she wouldn’t be able to when she came back.

Max looked over her shoulder and hurriedly pulled away when she noticed Chloe walking towards them. Rachel gave her a questioning look and then turned around, following her eyes.

“Hey,” Chloe said, glancing between them.

Max smiled quickly, “Hi, we were just coming to meet you.” 

Now that she was in front of her, she couldn’t help but feel guilty. Even if she was going to change all this... She looked away, not liking how she felt when they kissed hello, and realized that she was just going to have to get used to it. She let Rachel tell her what they had planned as she tried to accept that she would once again be the only one to remember. A jolt of loneliness shot through her.

“…So, if all goes well, we’ll save Victoria too.” Rachel finished.

Chloe rubbed her neck, looking uneasily at the blonde, “About that…”


	14. Chapter 14

As Chloe spoke, Rachel felt her sanguinity disintegrating.

“She said it would just fuck everything up,” Chloe finished, as they turned the corner.

“Where did she go after?” Rachel asked, following her into the alley.

When they reached the middle, Chloe turned and shrugged, “I don’t know. She just sort of strolled away.”

Max looked like she suddenly realized something, “I saw her. She walked past the diner… So, that was Sera’s friend? And she knows Sean?”

Rachel felt her eyes narrow as Chloe nodded, inheriting her mother’s last opinion for the woman. She had been angry with her.

“Why are we supposed to trust what she says?” she asked them.

Chloe shook her head, “I’m just relaying the message. It’s totally up to you if you want to listen to it.”

“Why didn’t you ask her more?”

“What was I supposed to ask her?” Chloe asked, slightly defensive.

Rachel sighed in frustration, “Like what the hell she meant?”

“I tried, she wouldn’t tell me.”

“Well, than fuck her.”

“Are you sure, Rach?” Max interceded.

“No,” she answered, and turned away from them.

What you seek is in the future not the past? But all that she sought was to have her mother back. And she didn’t think that was possible. It wasn’t fair. She had spent so much of her life without her. Three years wasn’t enough. She needed more.

An ache of misery shot through her heart. Fuck. She had been so close. 

She’d been so sure all of this was going to get deleted. That the last week would just collapse in onto itself, and everything would change. She had been in a despair-ridden fog, but it had finally started to clear. Her life would be restored, and the chasm would disappear.

But the truth was she had been living in a fucking fantasy, all for the sake of escaping that horrible feeling inside. 

And Chloe, god, how could she do that to Chloe? Now that she could smell her skin, and see her beautiful blue eyes… 

She had fucked up again. What was wrong with her?

She looked back at the two of them discussing Pallas. Max seemed like she was struggling as well, not able to meet Chloe’s eyes for long.

Another consuming wave of guilt filled her. She had felt the girl’s hesitation in her energy... there had been a deep yearning there, but also reluctance. And the desire to make her feel better, to give her the distraction that she’d craved. But Rachel had ignored it, and had focused on the longing instead.

Fuck, she was a terrible person.

She was bad for both of them. They would be much better off without her chaotic recklessness in their lives. If she weren’t here, they would be happy together. She could clearly see their connection, and how they lit up around each other. They would make a much better couple.

The hope that she had desperately collected dripped out, just like water had out of her cupped hand.

And so she started to walk away, saying she needed to think. She saw them look at each other with concern before she turned to leave, trying to shut down and withdraw into herself.

“Wait, Rach. We can still try,” Chloe said, catching her and pulling her back to them.

Max nodded earnestly, “Yes. Definitely.” 

She just stared at the ground, not knowing what to do. She doubted all her confidence from the past. All her rash decisions. It seemed she was cursed to act on impulse and destroy. Just like the fire inside her. She looked at them both and her remorse turned into a cyclone, disturbing all the feelings she had been avoiding the past week. It built up, as the crushing truth filled her. Regret. Loss. Defeat. Hate. All the emotions she had been desperate to escape compounded together, growing into a huge wave. 

She put her hands on her knees to try to brace against them, leaning against the brick wall of the alley.

“Fuck,” she cried, tears starting to fall, evaporating before they hit the pavement.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Chloe had been expecting this, and was ready. She was glad they were tucked away in the alley. This needed to happen.

Rachel was breaking. Falling against the wall in front of them. The same thing had happened to her about a week after her father had died. When her grief had turned from a fresh sting into an overwhelming heartrending reality.

She nodded at Max, making sure she was ready. They had discussed what could happen when Rachel finally let herself go. 

She had landed on the pavement weeping into her hands. They both went to her side.

“I don’t know what to do,” Rachel quietly mumbled repeatedly through her tears. “I don’t know what to do.”

Sitting down next to her, they each put a hand on her shoulder. A link opened, and they were both able to feel her despair. 

“Let it out, Rach,” Chloe said comfortingly, her own tears falling.

She could feel how lost and angry she was, and how her mind was clouding over with regret. A deep hateful blame. Max looked over at her with sad eyes, and Chloe knew she could feel it too. 

As she cried, flames started to dance across the pavement in front of them, like drifting snow. 

Max raised her left hand, and Chloe realized that something was different with Rachel being between them. They were absorbing the powerful energy as it poured out of her. Like she was the catalyst now. As she sobbed and the fire grew, Max captured the flames in time. Chloe felt a rolling heat, as their energy coalesced, drawing from Rachel.

The blaze froze, and turned into a bright blinding white, breaking off and arching around. Creating a pulsating orb of light. Rachel’s crying started to ebb, growing weaker. She looked up from her hands, staring at the sight before her with shiny eyes.

Chloe felt her own eyes clouding around the edges, until all she could see was the luminous sphere in front of her, the effervescent glow taking up her vision. She let Max’s energy, flowing through Rachel, feed her own. 

Purple flames suddenly licked around the outside of the orb. She watched as the sphere grew hollow, splitting from the inside out, opening itself up. She thought she could see something on the other side. Shadows in the light. Drifting through the fissure, she heard the sound of people talking. 

But then something else shot through them and in to her, distracting Chloe’s attention. She turned away from the orb, and interpreted a feeling coming off of both of them. Their guilt was an easy emotion to read, especially with Rachel’s heart gaping open like a wound. 

She frowned and looked back at the light while trying to decipher what she was feeling from them. The brightness pulsed, and then the sound of her father’s laughter rang out. It had been such a long time, but she knew it was his the instant she heard it.

Suddenly, everything flashed and the sphere quickly drained in to itself, like water in a bathtub.

As her vision returned she saw Rachel had fainted against the wall. Chloe took her hand away, and stood up. She watched with suspicious eyes as Max checked on her. 

“I think she’s okay…” Max said, looking up. “Wow. That was different. Didn’t it sound like… did you hear voices coming out of the light?”

Chloe nodded, still replaying the emotions she had felt. She turned away, trying to process them. 

Max continued, as she steadied Rachel so she wouldn’t fall over, “And she got drained instead of me…”

“Yeah. It’s all fucking magical.” Chloe shot out at Max, watching as her expression turned from confusion to shame.

“Chloe…”

And just like that she knew what their feelings had meant. 

What the fuck? She wasn’t sure whom she was angrier with. No scratch that. It was Max. Definitely Max. Rachel had been clouded in grief, and she was mad at her too, but she at least understood that better. Getting lost in another person to escape yourself. But what was Max’s excuse?

“How could you?” she said, her voice breaking like she was injured. 

And the day had started out so nice…

___________________________________________________________________

 

Shit. Shit. Shit. 

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She was supposed to go back. Reset. And not ever have to see this hurt on Chloe’s face… hurt that she had caused.

She stood up, trying to explain, realizing that she didn’t have a good excuse. How could she describe how she had felt the girl’s lost desperation, and then found that she could take it away from her, and give her something better. 

“She was so sad, Chloe, and then she wasn’t, and I… I…” she didn’t know what to say, because that was only part of it.

She had been attracted to the girl since the moment they met, and it wasn’t just because of her looks. She felt a strange connection to her, just like she did with Chloe. It opened wider and wider each time they touched, and glimpsed into each other’s emotions. 

Chloe was starting to walk away. She wanted to follow her, but she couldn’t just leave Rachel passed out in an alleyway.

“Wait, please don’t go,” she pleaded, “It just happened… it didn’t…” She couldn’t say it didn’t mean anything, because it did. “It won’t happen again, I promise. I am so sorry.”

Chloe turned around, staring at her with crossed arms, “Did you… did you guys fuck?”

“No! I swear… we stopped… it was just... kissing… “ she sputtered out, avoiding her gaze. 

Relief flashed across the girl’s face quickly before turning back into anger. She started pacing, like she wanted to leave.

Max continued, “We thought I was going to go back, change the past, and that it wouldn’t count.”

She realized what a lame excuse that was, and closed her mouth. But at the time it had felt like a reasonable justification. 

Chloe stopped, and looked at her incredulously, “Just because you have powers, doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.” 

“I know…”

“Do you? Because you kissed me as well, or don’t you remember?” she said, growing more furious, “Because I definitely don’t. You took that memory away from me.”

Max hung her head, “I’m sorry.” 

She stared at the ground, shifting her feet, mentally punishing herself. She tried to think about what she could say. But when she looked back up, Chloe was gone, disappearing around the corner of the alley. 

She collapsed next to Rachel, feeling horrible. She wiped her face angrily. She didn’t deserve tears. She had to make this right. She couldn’t tear them apart like this.

She glanced over at Rachel, still asleep next to her. She knew that the blonde would wake up groggy, just like she had been. And then she would have to tell her what had just happened. Making her feel even worse. 

God, this was such a mess. But she could fix it. As she waited for the girl to wake, her hand snuck into her camera bag. She took out the photo, forcing herself not to look yet. Debating what she should do, she felt her eyes drifting towards it.

There were so many reasons to go back, and only one woman’s word not to. Even though a part of her knew she should probably listen, she couldn’t.

Heart beating fast, she stared down at the photo, and felt the world start to flash and shift. 

She heard the sound of the bus driving down the highway. Could smell the sandwich that the guy a couple seats in front of her had been eating. She kept her eyes on the photo, trying to calm down, as her peripheral vision violently turned.

As the alley started to disappear, folding inward, she felt herself falling forward. Everything was vibrating, colors swirling, realities mixing. She closed her eyes against the stomach churning sensation. It felt like she was being torn, split between two places at once. And then the vertigo lessened. She felt a twinge of pain in her head as she opened her eyes.

She was seated on the bus. The after image of the flash from taking the picture was still burning in her vision. She put her camera down, making sure to carefully tuck the photo away, just in case. 

Glancing out the window, she noticed she couldn’t see the highway around her. It looked like they were driving in a sea of fog. She felt something pulling her back to the present, and began to hurry.

Quickly, taking out her journal, she started to write. She decided to be as blunt and descriptive as possible.

‘Make sure Victoria gets on the plane. Otherwise she will die.’

She wondered if saving Victoria would be enough. She wouldn’t have gone missing, they wouldn’t have tried to contact her, and she wouldn’t have gotten drained that day. She continued writing, eyes squinting against the pain.

‘Sean will capture James and kill Sera.’

She debated, and then decided to add one more thing. She didn’t want to be too specific because she knew she would show them the letter.

‘Don’t take advantage of your powers, ignore your feelings, and keep your head!’

She left her journal on her lap, wanting the past Max to read it right away. And then leaned back into the seat and closed her eyes. She exhaled slowly, and let go. Feeling the twisting flashing sensation return as the world changed around her.

When she opened her eyes again, she felt nauseous. She was standing in Chloe’s kitchen, in front of the stove. She grabbed a paper towel to stifle the blood coming from her nose.

She looked down and saw that she was wearing a black dress. She glanced around and saw there were several other people there. They too were all wearing black.

She saw Joyce sitting at the dining table; softly crying while David rubbed her back. His expression stony and glass eyed. Robbie was in the kitchen with her, putting food into tupperware and cleaning the dishes. He looked like he was trying to keep his hands busy. He started fussing over her bleeding nose, trying to help. She said she was fine, and stumbled away from him.

Justin and Trevor were sitting together on the couch, dejected and silent. Teenagers her age that she didn’t recognized were staggered around the house. A group of guys stood in the corner, talking softly with sad faces.

She desperately searched the house, dreading every moment that she didn’t see either of them. This could not be... 

As she walked to the stairs, about to go up and check Chloe’s room, Steph came up to her. She had tears in her eyes that spilled out as she hugged her gently. Max let her, involuntarily hugging back, while denying everything she was seeing.

“I can’t believe this.” Steph said sadly. “It is so fucked up.”

“What… what happened?” she asked, in shock.

Steph looked at her, skeptically, “Max? Are… are you okay?”

“No.”

Knees going out, she collapsed onto the stairs behind her, “Chloe’s dead?”

Steph gave her a concerned nod, as she knelt down in front of her.

“Where’s Rachel?” Max asked.

“She’s… she’s in the hospital. The cliff… after the fire?”

Max decided she was just going to be straightforward. She needed information. And there was no way she was going to stay in this timeline.

“Steph, I don’t remember anything. Please, you need to tell me exactly what happened.”

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel woke up on the pavement. As she opened her eyes, she glanced around her. She was weak, but otherwise she was feeling better. Before she had passed out she had heard her mother’s voice coming out of the light, telling her to be strong. It had lifted a weight off her soul. 

She felt a rush of hope over what could be possible. Gaining a new understanding over what Pallas might have meant.

She sat up with concern when she noticed Max next to her, blood dripping from her nose. When she saw that Rachel was awake, she smiled sadly at her.

“Hey,” she said, wiping her face with her shirt.

“Hey,” she responded tiredly. 

Max stood and helped her up, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah...” Rachel yawned, as she stretched, “So this is how you felt... ugh, it’s like I’m all used up…”

Max nodded idly, appearing lost in thought. She wiped her face again. 

Rachel pointed to the blood, “Is that from… whatever this was?” she said, gesturing around them. “That orb?”

“No…” she answered, looking ashamed, “I… I went back. Into the photo.”

“What? Really?” she asked, surprised, “Then… how are we still here?”

“Because… I had to take it all back. I…” she started to break, “Oh god, Rachel it was horrible. Chloe was dead, and you tried to kill yourself, and everything was worse.”

She didn’t know how to react to this, “Tell me.”

She listened with widening eyes as the girl told her what she had deciphered. Victoria had lived. They had made sure she’d gotten on the plane. But her parents had never come back. They had remained missing. And so she had sought them. Max didn’t know exactly what had transpired, but it had ended again at the lighthouse. But the brunette hadn't been there; she had been hanging out with Steph. It had just been Chloe and Rachel. They must have gone after him, or he lead them there, she wasn’t sure. But Chloe had been killed. And Rachel had jumped from the cliff.

“I think… I think Sean killed her, and you started to lose control, and jumped to stop yourself from burning everything.”

Rachel thought that was probably nobler than what had actually occurred. She imagined she would have jumped with or without the flames. That would mean in the other timeline, her parents were both dead, and so was Chloe. And she had tried to join them. And instead was broken and dying in a hospital. 

“Fuck. That’s brutal. No wonder you came back.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Max… you don’t have to apologize,” she said, leaning on her fresh outlook.

“You… you aren't mad? I can try again, write something different,” she said, with cautious deliberation. “I… I think I fucked up with the last part…”

“No,” Rachel said, grabbing a Kleenex from her purse and gently wiping away the blood the girl had missed, “Didn’t you hear what was coming out of the light?”

She looked at her questioningly. “Voices?”

“I heard my mom. It… it was a window,” she tried to explain, feeling confident in her surety. “If we can make a window, we can make a door.”

Max looked at her skeptically, but didn’t argue. Rachel turned around, looking for her girlfriend. Wanting to know if she thought the same thing. Why wasn’t she here?

“Where’s Chloe?”

___________________________________________________________________

 

As she walked through downtown her mind was cluttered. She didn’t know where she was going.

Steve had said she could come over and look at his collection of cars. He was a great mechanic and had taught her a lot, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be around him right now. He had the emotional spectrum of a toad, thinking purely in analytical manners. It made him a good mechanic, but right now she needed someone she could talk to. 

And it couldn’t be Rachel or Max. 

She got out her phone, and dialed. It answered after a few rings.

“Hey Chloe, how are you?”

“Hi Steph, I’m okay… Are you busy? Want to come look at some cars with me?”

“Sure! I was just working on a short story, but it’d be nice to get out of my head for a bit.”

Chloe hesitated, “Oh, if you are writing, I don’t want to disturb you… 

“Don’t be silly, I can write anytime. It’s not every day that Chloe Price asks me to hang out…” Steph said happily.

“Okay, I’m going over to the head mechanic’s house from the garage? He said I could look around. He’s a bit of a hoarder of vehicles.”

“I heard about your truck. I’m sorry. Where are you? Want me to pick you up?”

She smiled, grateful for her friend, “Yes, I’m downtown by the bay, thank you.”

“Okay, I’ll leave now. See you soon.”

As she waited, she thought about what she had seen in that blinding light. The shadows and shapes. The voices. 

And then her mind drifted back to their disloyalty, and she felt hurt and left out and jealous, and…

Steph’s little red jeep pulled up, just as she remembered how Max’s expression had turned when she’d realized what Chloe had deciphered from them.

She jumped inside, and tried to suppress the angst that had been building with her thoughts. As she gave the girl directions to Steve’s house, they talked about the fire and Chloe’s truck. Moving on to less depressing subjects, she asked Steph about her story. She was an English major, and Chloe thought it was the perfect fit for her. She’d always been able to pull illustrative, intricate stories out of nowhere. 

But then Steph casually asked her where Rachel and Max were, and it started to spill out.

She tried to talk, but was struggling because she couldn’t tell her the whole story. Like about their powers. And the intangible connection she shared with both of them, growing deep below the surface. How Max hadn't really needed to explain her emotions because she had already felt them as Rachel’s pain drifted between. 

And the light… and her father’s laughter. 

She grew silent. It was the real thing on the forefront of her mind. What had actually happened there? She had seen something through her clouded eyes. Figures or another place or… a portal... Could she actually talk to her father again? Not just in a cryptic dream or by using Max, but awake and aware with him in front of her?

Chloe looked up as Steph called her attention back, realizing she had only said a few sentences and then grown quiet.

“So…” Steph started, “Let me get this right… You like them both, they like each other, and they're into you as well?”

She hadn't said this, but somehow Steph had deciphered it through her stuttered, frustrated words.

“I… I don’t know…” she said shaking her head. “It’s fucked up.”

“Is it?”

Chloe looked at her curiously. But then they almost passed Steve’s street, and so she called out telling the girl to turn. They drove down a bumpy road, ending up on a stretch of property. There was a small house near the end. Crowding around it were various automobiles and car parts.

Steve was waiting for them as they pulled up. Chloe already saw a truck that drew her eyes. As she got out, she went over to it.

“Hah, I knew you would pick that one.” Steve said, “That’s why I brought it out. It’s an ‘89 Ford F150.”

It was the same color as her hair. And in way better condition than the beast had been in. She liked it right away. 

Maybe things would be okay… Out with the old and in with the new, right? It was a phrase she needed to start to embrace. Letting go was not her strong suit.

“Want to take it for a drive?” Steve asked, holding up the keys.

“Definitely.”

She knew right when she turned the engine over that this was her new truck. She would have to come up with a new name for it. It was too pretty to be called a beast. Steph laughed at her giddy expression.

As they drove around the property, she wanted to ask the girl what she really thought about what they’d been discussing. But she felt silly about it, and embarrassed, and didn’t know how to bring it up again. So they just had fun together, joking around and debating the things she could do to the inside of the truck. 

“How bout, no ‘you are about to die’ graffiti this time?” Steph teased.

After she graciously paid Steve what she could, promising future installments from her check, she happily walked Steph back to her jeep. The girl had to get back to her parent’s house; her brother and sister were coming over for dinner. Steph and her family were pretty close. It must be nice…

“Thanks again,” Chloe said, giving her a hug.

“Of course,” Steph replied, glancing over to the bright blue truck, “It’s perfect for you.”

She looked over at it with a smile, “Yeah, it is pretty great.”

Steph opened the jeep’s door and was about to climb in, when she stopped and looked back.

“You know, most people can't even find one person they can truly connect to… And if you are lucky enough to have found two… well… I don’t think that’s fucked up...” Steph said genuinely. 

She continued with a sigh, “Life is too hard to go it alone, Chloe…” she smiled sadly, “And I don’t think any of you deserve to get your heart broken.”

Chloe gave her another hug, and watched her drive off. As she headed back to her new truck, she thought about what she had said. It continued running through her mind as she drove back home. Would one of them get their heart broken?

When she pulled into her driveway, she saw Rachel sitting on the front porch. She stood up as Chloe got out of the truck.

Her anger started to build up as a defense mechanism, but then she saw the girl stumble on her feet and she went to her, catching her before she could fall.

Rachel held her hand, steadying herself, and looked up at her, “Chloe, I’m so sorry…”

The sincerity she saw in her hazel eyes made the anger temporarily evaporate. She shook her head, and started to lead her into the house.

“Come on… let’s go inside.”

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel sat down on Chloe’s bed, glad for the softness of it. She wanted to curl up and sleep for ages. But she couldn’t yet.

“I… I really like the new truck,” she offered.

Chloe just shrugged, standing uneasily by the doorway. Rachel wanted her closer. 

“Please, come here?” she asked, gesturing to the spot next to her.

She shook her head, “No.”

Rachel stared at her earnestly. She had thought about what to say as she'd waited for her, but now that she was here… Usually she didn’t have trouble finding the right words, but she was struggling now. She didn’t want to make excuses. 

“Can you tell me… why you’re so mad?”

“Why the fuck do you think?”

“Chloe…”

“Don’t ‘Chloe’ me? You cheated on me with my best friend!”

Rachel recoiled from her anger. Is that really what she thought? If it was, then she didn’t stand a chance. But… she didn’t see it that way. 

“No. It wasn’t like that.”

“What the hell was it like then?”

“I…”

“Because it seems like you guys just totally forgot I existed, and said fuck Chloe and her feelings… “ she said coldly, “And Max’s lame ass excuse that you were going to change time doesn’t mean shit to me.” She kicked a box out of her way, “Ugh, I am so mad at her!”

“It wasn’t Max’s fault…” she said, growing defensive for the girl.

“No? Because she can fuck off and go back to Seattle for all I care.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do.” Chloe said, pacing, “And you can go with her if you want her so fucking much.”

Rachel’s started to feel angry, it fed her strength, and so she stood up.

“You’re just mad that you didn’t do it first,” she threw out at her, crossing her arms.

Chloe turned to her, mouth opening disbelievingly, “Fuck you.”

“Admit it.”

She stepped a few feet closer to her, shaking with anger, “No.”

As she stared back at her, Rachel thought of something else.

“I know you don’t remember, but you did do it first... Max said you kissed her back,” she argued, “You didn’t see me throwing a huge fit over it.”

“That was different, I… I can’t remember that. It doesn’t count.”

“Doesn’t it?”

“I stopped.”

“So did I,” she said, stubbornly, “…eventually.”

Chloe pressed her lips together after swearing in frustration. 

Rachel continued, “You can’t lie to me, Chloe Price. I can read you like a book. I’ve seen how you look at her. How you look at each other.”

“That doesn’t mean we can just act on every impulse and whim…” she said, growing hostile, before asking venomously, “How many times is it going to take before you learn that fucking lesson?”

Rachel backed away, eyes stinging. Knowing what she meant by that. The back of her knees hit the bed, but she stood her ground. 

“You bitch…” she muttered softly.

Chloe stepped towards her, realizing how much she had hurt her. Rachel felt herself welling up, regret over what had happened at the lighthouse starting to creep back up on her. No. She wouldn’t let herself go there again. She shut it down, and stared back at the girl defensively.

“Rach… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Yes you did... But I forgive you…” she lowered her head, “There is something going on here that we don’t understand. It’s not like we’re normal, the three of us have some weird inexplicable bond… and… we can all pretend that it doesn’t exist… but it does.”

“So… you want it to continue…?” 

Rachel thought about lying, but just sighed instead, “I meant what I said in the truck that day, I… I’m okay with it. But if you're not, than I understand.” She paused and then added, “And I don’t even know how Max feels.”

“She promised it would never happen again.”

“And I believe her. She’s a mess, all worried that you are going to hate her forever.”

Chloe furrowed her brow, “And what about you?”

Rachel watched as the girl took another step towards her before saying, “I would promise too, if I thought that’s what you really wanted.”

“And how do you know it’s not.”

“Because you started by the door, and now you are right here in front of me.” Rachel said, reaching out and running her hand down the girl’s shirt, before pulling her closer. “And when I say, Max, your eyes grow cloudy.”

Chloe’s demeanor started to shift. She was still angry, but a new emotion was stirring. Rachel secretly smirked when she saw her eyes look down at her body, enticed. She wondered if she noticed whose shirt she was wearing.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Chloe’s eyes narrowed when she suddenly realized that Rachel was wearing Max’s shirt. It was the tank top she had worn the other day, the one she had complimented her on. She was confused, and angry, and a little turned on. It was a weird combination.

She pushed the girl back onto the bed. There was a brief moment when she thought about storming out of the room, but then Rachel looked up at her seductively, eyes flashing. Challenging her. 

She fell on top of the girl, reclaiming her mouth and pressing her body into hers. The blonde matched her ferocity, their tongues lashing, as she wrapped her legs around her waist. While they kissed Chloe thought about how Max’s lips had been in the same place hers were now. 

Rachel tried to touch her, but she pulled away, and grabbed her wrists. Pushing them into the mattress she rolled against the girl firmly, watching as her mouth opened. The blonde lifted her head to kiss her again, but she dodged away and went for her neck, biting on the soft skin she found there. Rachel hissed, and then moaned as she replaced her teeth with her tongue and pressed into her again.

Chloe reached behind and untangled the girl’s legs from around her, spreading them apart. She sat back on her knees as Rachel urgently undid her pants for her. She stood quickly, impatiently taking off her clothes, before returning to her.

She pulled the bottom of the shirt up, kissing the girl’s tan stomach, but left it on her. She grabbed it with her teeth, chewing on the fabric as she pulled it up higher, before returning her lips to her skin. 

While she ran her tongue around the blonde’s belly button, she felt Rachel’s hands roughly playing with her hair. Chloe teased her fingers along the top of her shorts, before undoing the button and ripping them off her. Climbing back on top of her, skin against skin, she assaulted her mouth, while reaching down to run her hand roughly up the girl’s thigh. Rachel grazed her nails down her back, hard enough to sting. 

Chloe pulled back so she could look into her eyes as she delved her fingers inside her. The blonde shut them tight, breathing in quickly, before opening them again to stare at her. Chloe did it again. 

She loved the expression on her face, and the noises she was trying not to make. She loved the way her hair looked laid out on the pillow behind her. Some of it fell over her face as Chloe rocked against her again. Rachel blew the strand quickly out of the way, so they could continue to look into each other’s eyes. 

She is so beautiful, Chloe thought, her roughness receding. She felt the girl’s hands reaching out to her, and she let them, closing the space between their bodies. As Rachel’s fingers found her, Chloe moaned her name and noticed the candles flaring in the room. She smiled as she kissed her; the blonde always liked when she elicited that response from her. She said her name again, sighing it into her ear. 

Rachel tightened against her, as Chloe felt her own desire peaking. Both of them keeping a rhythm as they pulled each other over the top. The blonde cried out, arching her back, as the flames around the room grew higher. Chloe quickly followed gasping Rachel’s name into her neck, sparks going off behind her closed eyes.

As she slowly came back down, collapsing next to her, she realized she smelled smoke. Glancing up, she saw that one of her posters had caught in the corner. She jumped up and threw the glass of water from her desk onto it, dousing the flames and putting them out.

“That was a close one,” Chloe said, turning back around.

She chuckled when she noticed Rachel was already fast asleep. She went over and pulled the sheet over her, tucking her in and kissing her forehead. Leaning down close, she whispered softly into her ear.

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and or little life rounded with a sleep.”

It was a line that had stuck in her head, one of many that Rachel used to say, when her mind had been filled with them. She thought back to the night of the play, when they had gone off script and Rachel had promised her happiness but not freedom. And she had gladly accepted. 

And she still did.

___________________________________________________________________

 

She took a selfie with her camera, and then prepared for something to happen, but nothing did. She glued it into her journal, and then lay back down. 

Max was overwhelmed. She was guilty and confused and lonely, but most of all she was scared. Scared of that other timeline.

She felt sick when she thought about it, curling up on her bed. How she’d frantically made Steph drive her back to the dorm, as she’d continuously searched her bag. Desperately hoping that the photo was in her room. That crushing fear that she would be stuck in an existence that wasn’t her own. 

How she had busted in to the other Max’s room, running away from a confused Steph the instant they had pulled up, telling her to stay in the car. Practically hysterical as she’d searched through the mess that her other self had created in a fit of grief that she couldn’t remember. Finally finding the bus picture in her journal, next to the letter she had left. 

She had almost jumped right into the photo then, but had stopped when she’d suddenly realized there were answers in her hands. She had started to read the entries she’d found there. A lot of them were similar to her own, but the initial reunion had gone down differently. Rachel had been pretty freaked out when she had read that Sean was going to kill Sera. It had been too much information too soon. 

Max was starting to understand the cryptic ‘watch for the burn’ warning that they had received, seemed like less was more.

The other Max had also written about her attraction to them. But that she was trying to withstand it by keeping her distance. Poor thing… she could sympathize.

The final entries were dark and wild, filled with plans for going back and changing things. She had ripped them out and gripped them tightly. Could she bring them back with her? She had flipped to the photo, and returned to the bus, closing her eyes and staying completely still as they drove along the invisible highway. Her hands were empty and she thought she'd lost them. But when she'd found herself back in the present, sitting next to Rachel in the alley downtown, the pages were clutched again in her hands. How were they able to travel from another plane? Did that mean that reality was still out there somewhere?

She got out the entries she had taken, looking them over. They were full of the same speculations running through her head, only way more desperate. There was even one that was considering going back and saving William from the car crash. Woah… and she was afraid of going back just a few weeks.

There was a small curious part of her that wanted to try the bus again, write something else entirely. Or leave out the last part. Thinking that if she had been there with them it would have happened differently. 

But she was terrified of making things worse and not being able to get back. 

How many other world’s did she exist in?

She had seen photos on the wall of her other’s dorm. Photos she hadn't taken. Could she double jump? Triple jump? How deep down the rabbit hole could she go?

It freaked her the fuck out.

She grabbed her journal and went outside, needing some fresh air. The sky was cloudy, the night dark. She went over to the far bench and sat down. By the light of the lamppost, she wrote another detailed entry next to the selfie she had taken. Even if she never used them, she wanted to have the photos just in case.

She looked to the right at the outline of the totem in the distance. Not being able to see it outright gave her the creeps. She couldn’t relax with it staring at her like that. 

Standing, she walked towards it. The faces stacked on top of each other captivating her eyes. She thought about consequences, and how they piled up as well. She wondered what the future Max would think of the ones she had caused. 

Was her existence temporary? Would the other Max suddenly take over her mind someday, blanking out all that had come before? It was a large part of why her journal entries had become much more descriptive. She didn’t want to disappear.

She heard a noise behind her, and jumped around. She raised her left hand, ready to rewind. But it was just a squirrel. 

Damn, she was agitated. 

She started to wonder where Sean was right now. Rachel had told them that he had somehow absorbed her mother’s power. Would he come back for theirs? Could he be watching her right now?

She glanced around nervously, and then hurried back into her dorm, wishing she wasn’t alone.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Sean walked into the store. He had on glasses, and a hat, beard grown out and wild. It was so busy; he just merged right in to the crowd.

Everything was pretty fucked up. His rage a sharpened edge. But he was thriving on it.

Since he had killed the woman, he had changed. He was no longer able to be the suave manipulator. The fire was always on the periphery, ready to burst out of him at any moment. It filled him with a never-ending urge to use it.

He hadn't known that he would lose Beverly’s power, and he would kill Pallas for that. She must have planned it. Even though she had been under his control she had still managed to outwit him. It filled him with a debilitating anger. 

He cleared his mind. Letting his emotions grow cold. He didn’t want to burn all these people... It would call too much attention to himself.

He started to grab the supplies he had come for. Since he had seen his face and name on the news, he had developed a system. He knew how to live off the grid, deep in the woods, just as his father had taught him. And he preferred it. There was no more faking emotions, no more dealing with idiot people, so easy to fool and deceive. No more lies.

He could finally just be himself.

He had made sure to go to a large department store far away. Where he would blend in with the weekend shopping crowd, gather as many rations as he could before disappearing again. He was planning out all his next steps. He had to be careful. And he had to keep moving. 

He felt an urge to go back to the lake. To be by his girls. He liked being near them. But it was in the same area as his cabin, which James had probably told the authorities about by now. 

Normally, he would have gotten involved in the investigation. But he would have no way of fixing it this time, like he had in the past. 

His self-preservation was the most important thing now. He had to wait until things calmed down, and then he would go back. Find the woman, and the girl he had let get away. He hated that he had left her alive. It chewed on the back of his mind. He had never gotten his braid from her.

He would do it right. Plan it carefully. Pallas couldn’t figure everything out. He had managed to kill Beverly right under her nose after all. 

As he picked up some towels, throwing them in the cart, he remembered the moment when she had realized he had done it. Her captivating eyes growing furious. And then he had used her precious Beverly’s power against her. It had been glorious. The tension from their wavering connection brutally severed. He had destroyed it with his own two hands, finally giving in, and there was no going back. All he had felt was a longing to do it again. To kill the other half of it. But she had managed to distract him and escape. Only to return years later.

Something enticing occurred to him that he hadn't yet considered. He had found others like him, had the girl as well? 

He thought back to those years. When he had been young and wild and in love, but constantly accompanied by the fear that it would all be taken away. When he had still be trying to resist his nature with Beverly’s help. Until she had given up on him, and that fear became a reality.

He despised that version of himself. And was glad the compulsion had been exposed. A need that engulfed his being and fed his soul. And he had fed it. Again and again. Chasing away that stupid foolish boy inside.

He went to the self-checkout and paid with cash. Leaving the store he passed a young woman passing out pamphlets with crosses on them. She had pretty hair. 

Maybe self-preservation wasn’t the only important thing… 

He feigned a limp as he walked over to her, growing warm. She looked down at his purchases as he greeted her.

“Going camping?” she asked sweetly.

“Yes… hunting,” he said grinning politely, “Think you could help get these into the car? My leg is really acting up.”

“Of course,” she said, smiling back.


	15. Chapter 15

Rachel woke up with a smile when she saw what was on the other side of the room. Seemed Chloe had actually gotten up before her. ‘Happy Birthday’ was written in permanent marker on a paper sign strewn across the far wall, filled in with doodles from the girl’s talented hand. There were even a few balloons. She noticed there was a suitcase on the floor, partially filled.

Chloe came bustling back into the room, hands full of more stuff to pack. She smiled when she saw she was awake.

“Happy Birthday!!!” she yelled, dropping everything willy-nilly in to the suitcase, before jumping on to the bed. 

Rachel laughed, rolling out of the way. She got up and went to look at the suitcase. 

“What’s all this then?” she asked with a curious smirk, straightening some of the things so they would fit better.

Chloe jumped down from the bed, full of secret excitement, “You’ll just have to wait and see… Now go downstairs, David’s gone and there might be breakfast,” she said with a grin.

Rachel started to make her way out of the room, but stopped at the doorway when she saw Chloe was still by the bed. 

“Are you coming?”

Getting her phone out, she answered with a slight frown, “Yeah… I just have to make a quick call first.”

Rachel nodded, and headed downstairs, resisting the urge to listen at the door. She hoped she was calling Max. They hadn't seen much of her since her breakdown in the alley. Chloe was still mad at her, and poor Max was trying to keep her distance. Rachel wished she wouldn’t. But she knew they both just needed time, and then everything would be all right. 

Hopefully. 

But the girl came out of the door behind her before she even made it down the stairs. 

Rachel turned around, “No answer?”

Chloe shook her head, joining her at the bottom. 

“Did you actually call?” Rachel asked tentatively.

She sighed, exasperated, “Yes, I actually called… ” A smile crept over her face, “Now, don’t look,” she said, and put her hands over her eyes, leading her forward.

When they reached the kitchen, she pulled them away, and Rachel looked around. There were more balloons down here, and a delicious looking breakfast. But the thing that drew her eyes was the cake in the shape of a giant red maple leaf.

“Surprise!” Chloe said, from behind, wrapping her arms around her and kissing her cheek.

“We’re going to Canada?” Rachel asked excitedly, turning around. She had almost forgotten that they had talked about doing that for her birthday. 

“Yes,” Chloe answered happily, leading Rachel over to the table and pulling out the chair for her, “And its like seven and a half hours to Vancouver, plus the border, so you better start eating.”

As the girl mentioned Vancouver, she felt an ache for her mother. She had spoken fondly about that area often… Boundary Bay Park, and how brightly the stars shined there…

But Rachel just smiled and said, “It smells really good.”

“Yeah…” Chloe said, hurrying over to her own seat, “It took all my will power to wait to eat this with you.”

They joked around as they ate, keyed up over their impending road trip. The sun shined in through the windows, golden rays casting across their skin. When they were finished, Chloe got up to clear as Rachel stared out at it, squinting against the brightness but not looking away.

She was thinking about the light they had created. 

What else could they do together? She had a feeling they were capable of much more. What would happen if Chloe was in the middle instead of her or Max? 

Or… if they all joined hands?

She was trying to not obsess over it, but it was constantly in the back of her mind. She was making an effort to control her impulses though, and forcing them to try that would definitely be one. Especially with how the two girls were now.

Rachel went into the kitchen, and sat on the counter next to her girlfriend as she did the dishes.

“So…”

“So…” Chloe turned off the water and looked at her, “…Max.”

“Max,” Rachel agreed. “Should we… just go to Blackwell? She hasn’t been answering either of us… I’m kind of starting to worry.”

She nodded, and sighed, “Yeah, we can go after I pack up the car.”

“Are… are you still mad at her?”

“I… I’m not sure…” she said, placing the plate into the rack.

Rachel studied her, “Is it because of what happened?”

“Kind of... but it’s also… I mean… she just shows up after nothing for five years… and…” She trailed off, and then nodded decisively, “But we will go there first. I’m starting to worry too.”

She kissed her and jumped down, “Okay, I’m going to go take a shower. I’ll try and be fast,” she added when Chloe glanced over at the clock.

She took notoriously long showers. But she forced herself to move quickly, and not just stand there for minutes with closed eyes, as the hot water rained down her back. When she was done getting ready, the car was packed and the kitchen was clean. She met Chloe outside, who opened the door for her, still all smiles.

Chloe turned up the music in her new truck as they drove, showing Rachel the new speakers. The sound system was much better than her old one. It seemed it wasn’t just the engine that had been improved upon. 

In just the last week, Chloe had stamped her style all over it. Rachel glanced around, grinning, as she looked at the little touches she had added. Including a new bobble head. It was a little pirate. She wondered if the girl realized why she had picked that one.

After parking, they walked over to the dorms. The door was locked when they got there, and Max still wouldn’t answer their calls. They could both hear music coming from inside though.

Rachel noticed the shed was open. She walked over and peeked inside, and then jumped when she heard a voice behind her.

“Rachel…” Samuel said, gazing at her, “How are you today?”

He was standing with pruning shears, smiling at her in a dreamy way. He always stared at her a little too much. It kind of gave her the creeps, but she thought he was harmless. Just a little weird.

“Hi Samuel, I’m good. Are you having a nice summer?” she asked, charmingly. 

He seemed to flush happily at her attention, “Oh yes… A very nice summer…”

“Hey, do you think you could unlock the door for us? Our friend is up there, and we want to check on her.”

“I suppose I could do that…” he said, slowly, “I think your little friend might need some help…”

“What, why?” Chloe interceded.

“When I came in this morning… she was standing, staring at the Tobanga,” he said, pointing over and gazing at it.

They both followed his finger and fixed their eyes on the totem. Rachel felt a little more concerned. She looked away and went over to the door. As he followed, she mentally urged him to walk faster, but he was a slow moving guy. Finally he reached them. He started going through his keys, as they bounced on their feet behind him.

As it was unlocked, Rachel went in first, quickly followed by Chloe. They made their way down the hall, the music growing louder and louder as they reached Max’s room. Bright Eyes was blasting out of her door, they could hear the girl screaming along to it, and the sound of papers ruffling. They smiled at each other, and started knocking loudly.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

“But where was it when I first heard that sweet sound of humility? It came to my ears in the goddamn loveliest melody,” Max sang along as she pinned another page onto the wall.

She jumped back off the futon, dodging a pile of paper, and turned down the music. She thought she had heard knocking. She waited, ears still ringing, before she heard it again. And then Rachel’s voice called out.

“Max?”

She glanced around the room at the mess, and then shrugged and opened the door. Whatever. Let them see. She was beyond caring. 

The last week or more had been crazy. She felt like she had aged decades from all the various experiences. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since she had actually seen them.

Well, this version of them…

She had gotten over her fear of traveling, and had done a hell of a lot more than just written herself a few sentences in her journal. But she was careful to go back and erase each time. None of them were favorable to her real one. Her ‘home base’ as she thought of it. Except for maybe parts of the last one…

They came in and looked around, surprised.

“You okay, Max?” Chloe asked staring at her, analyzing.

“Yeah. I’m fine,” she answered, clearing a spot off of the futon and sitting down.

And she was. Better than fine even… maybe a little manic… but still pretty great. 

She felt way more confident, and actually comfortable with her abilities now. She had even gone back to before she’d been given her powers, and had returned to times when she’d still been in Seattle, waiting for summer to end. But she had always been able to come back to her reality. Deleting whatever variations she had created, and popping back into her dorm. 

“Max… you didn’t…” Rachel said, realizing what she had been up to.

The blonde went straight over to the wall she had been working on. It was full of journal entries with strings leading from one page to the next. In between, were post it’s with her various thoughts and findings scribbled across them.

“Rachel missing, April 22nd,” she read off, “had some sort of a relationship with Frank and Mark Jefferson?” She turned around, disgusted, “What the hell? I would never do that…”

Max cleared her throat, “Sorry, but there’s a version of you that might’ve, though all I heard about you were rumors... It was in the reality where I don’t think you ever met Sera… because you never really met Chloe…”

“How… how would you change that?” Rachel said looking fearfully at her.

“I stayed in contact with Chloe when I moved to Seattle… and she came to visit me and never went to the Firewalk concert… and you guys never really hung out…” Max said guiltily. “And… it all piles up…”

Chloe looked disturbed as well, but then her eyes were drawn to one note in particular. 

“You went back and saved my dad?” she asked, shocked. “What happened?”

“You… were paralyzed…” Max said sadly, and then grew quiet, “I… I don’t want to talk about that.”

“My god! Look at this one?” Rachel interrupted, pointing to a thick stack of journal entries attached to a newspaper clipping.

“Yeah,” Max said furtively, ”That was the one I last came back from… We managed to kill Sean, and no one else died, but… a crowd of people saw us using our powers and recorded it… and… well… when I came back we were barricaded at Blackwell, trying to figure out how to escape from the National Guard... That one was pretty close…”

Chloe turned around to gape at her, gesturing to the wall, “This is all really risky, Max… Why the hell would you do this?”

“I… well…” She wasn’t sure how to explain it, “What if something happens in the future that I need to change? I want to be able to know how to do it… without destroying everything…” She quickly added a little defensively, “And anyways... I always came back.” 

She tried to help them understand how she had gotten caught up in all of it, how time had pulled her into its’ web. How her abilities had grown stronger.

She didn’t say how it had distracted her from being alone. Or how she had been so terrified, and wasn’t now. Even if she were going to forget everything someday… she wouldn’t be scared anymore. She just wanted to experience as much as she could before that happened.

“I can’t… lose you guys…” she told them, dejectedly, and then stared over at Rachel, “You died in so many of the timelines… And I have this horrible feeling that it could happen in this one…” 

She stared down at her hands as she knotted them on her lap.

“Hey, I’m right here… we both are,” Rachel said comfortingly, putting a finger under her chin and drawing her eyes back up, “And we’re not going anywhere…”

Max casually pulled away from her touch, scooting farther onto the futon.

“Well, except to British Columbia for a couple days…” Chloe interrupted before adding happily, “But don’t worry you are coming with us. Get away, from whatever-“ she raised her hands around the room, “this is...”

Max smiled softly, “You… you’re going to Canada, what for?”

“It’s Rachel’s birthday present.”

She froze, and put her hand to her forehead. “Oh my god, I totally forgot! Happy Birthday!” she said, getting up to give the girl a quick hug, careful not to linger. 

“Thank you,” Rachel smiled, “You want help packing?”

Max glanced over at Chloe shyly and asked, “Are you… do you really want me to come?”

Chloe smiled, and nodded, but Max still couldn’t get a read on her expression. She started to gather her things, but then stopped and asked if she could take a quick shower.

Chloe looked exasperated, but collapsed onto the futon, “Fine…”

Rachel laughed, and went back to look at the wall. “Good. I want to read more of these anyways…”

Max stopped, apprehensive. There were some pretty private thoughts written there… but she wasn’t about to kick them out of her room. She grabbed her clothes and headed to the shower. 

She just hoped they wouldn’t read some of them too closely. 

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

“Chloe… come here and look at this,” Rachel said.

Chloe stood back up, leaning in to glance at where she was pointing. She didn’t like looking at the wall or thinking about what had been going on here. It just seemed reckless… like Max was taking on some of Rachel’s more impulsive tendencies. 

Or maybe she knows what she’s doing… 

The blonde showed her a journal entry from when Max had stayed in contact with her. She tried to wrap her head around the fact that this paper had traveled through space and time from another existence. 

She leaned towards the wall and started to read. This Max had come back to spend the summer in Arcadia Bay as well. Just so she could be with Chloe. It seemed they were much closer, and the pages was full of confessions of love, and little sappy poems. There was even a side doodle that Chloe had drawn on it, a sheep with a little note teasing Max over her fluffy entries. 

So she had shared her journal with her… 

But next to it was a post it that read, ‘Couldn’t stay, Rachel missing.’

She turned and grabbed the one she really wanted to see. From the timeline in which her father had lived. As she started to read, Max came back into the room. When she saw which entry Chloe had in her hand, she pounced on her to reach it.

“What the hell, Max?” Chloe said, dodging away from her.

Max jumped up to try to reach it, grabbing for her wrist. Chloe felt a jolt go through, starting at their touch and going up through the piece of paper in her hand. Her eyes grew cloudy as she began to see something.

“Wait, Chloe! Stop!”

But she couldn’t. Not after she read the memory, coming off of Max, from another version of herself. 

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel was pretty sure time had just frozen, because they seemed to shift positions before her eyes. While Chloe was distracted, she grabbed the paper out of her hand, careful not to touch either of them. 

As she pinned the paper back to the wall, she looked between them. Chloe was staring at the girl in shock. Max turned away, absentmindedly grabbing her suitcase and starting to pack. She looked angry.

“Jesus, Max…” Chloe stuttered out, and then spoke in a slow sincere tone, “I’m… I’m so sorry I asked you to do that.”

Max stopped and looked up at her.

“You’re sorry?” she asked, shaking her head, “Shouldn’t I be the one who’s sorry? Didn’t you see what I did?”

“What happened?” Rachel asked breathlessly as they stared at each other.

Max slowly lowered her eyes, like she was remembering something painful.

“I… I drove all the way from Seattle. But when I got here…” She swallowed, and seemed to force herself to continue, “William had gotten her a car for her 16th birthday, and she had gotten in an accident…and…” she stopped unable to say the words. 

“She… she put me out of my misery,” Chloe said, looking at Max in a new way.

“Woah…” Rachel quietly murmured.

And then she decided she needed to lighten the mood. It was her birthday after all… this just wouldn’t do. The two girls stood silently contemplating each other as she cleared her throat.

“So… let’s go get drunk in Canada!” Rachel joked.

They both chuckled, and Chloe threw a pillow at her.

“Max, do you have a passport to get across the border?” she asked.

“No, but I have an extended license…. since Seattle was so close,” she answered as she zipped up her bag, smiling as Chloe picked it up to carry for her. 

“Okay, you ready? Got your camera?” Rachel asked, keeping up a jovial tone.

Max nodded, bent down and grabbed the pillow Chloe had thrown, hugging it tightly as they left the dorm.

They all got into the truck as Rachel teased Chloe about letting one of them drive. 

“No way… no one drives this baby but me,” she said chuckling, turning the music down softly as she glanced over at the brunette.

Max had leaned the pillow against the door and passed out before they’d even left Arcadia Bay. Chloe raised her eyebrows at her, and they both wondered when the last time it was that she had slept.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Pallas pulled over on her motorcycle, leaning to the side. Relived. She had been feeling sick for the past week. The string had kept withering and then flourishing, and she knew the girl was fucking with time. 

She had thought about going to her door, and telling her to knock it off. But, she knew the less she interfered the better. And the string never died. It always came back. She wouldn’t know what she would do if her final connection was actually severed. Not after everything she had gone through to get here. 

As they drove away, she saw theirs trails braiding together, leading forward. She hoped they would come back that way, but she couldn’t see that far ahead, and was only able to decipher up to the next checkpoint.

She gunned it and pulled back out, shooting up gravel as she turned around.

Now that she was nearing the end, she had started letting herself remember. Memories that she hadn't thought of for years ran freely through her mind. It had been too painful before. Easier to just cut them out and refuse their existence. But now, she was seeing them in a new light. Comparing and contrasting.

As she curved around the edge of the road, going faster than was safe for others, her brain was flooded with the past. 

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

NOVEMBER 1991

 

Pallas entered the old man’s apartment. 

She had been able to tell that he was lonely. And that if she just carried his groceries for him, and smiled sweetly, he would ask if she had a place to stay. All she had to do was answer honestly and he would let her sleep on the couch. 

The scene played out exactly as she knew it would, and she gladly accepted his invitation. Normally, she didn’t have any qualms about sleeping outside. But this city... it got cold in the winter. Not to mention all the fucking rain... 

God she missed the sun.

He asked her if she was hungry. She eyed him warily, examining what kind of dinner he would make with those groceries.

She got up, “Let me cook?”

He grinned at her, and then collapsed onto his chair. She saw how his body sank into the cushion, how it formed around him like an old glove. It was a place that he sat in night after night. 

“Really? Thank you, that would be so nice,’ he said, stretching out his old bones.

“I… I like to do it, it’s not a problem,” she said, absently analyzing his trails for the night ahead.

“Your English is really good,” the old man praised, as he settled himself into the chair.

“Thanks, I learned when I was quite young.”

“Where are you from?” he asked, in good spirits over her company. 

“Sono di Roma,” she answered, a faint smile touching her lips at the words. It had been awhile.

His eyes glistened happily, “Ah Rome! Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto!”

She laughed, gaining a new perspective on him. Even though that didn’t come close to describing her experience, it was still nice to hear. 

“So you’ve been?” she asked.

“Yes, long ago, but it wasn’t at a very happy time. Still, what a beautiful country!” He leaned over, and grabbed a bottle from the side cabinet. “And now I am even more excited for dinner.”

She went to the cupboard and got him a glass, filling it with ice, before he tried to do it himself. She handed it to him with a small smile, and then returned to the kitchen to start dinner.

It felt okay here. Safe. She'd been too many places that weren’t, and had no choice but to stay at a few of them. But this… this just felt right. She thought he seemed as starved for good company as she was.

She analyzed his fridge and cupboards. She saw potatoes and flour, cheese and eggs. Canned tomatoes. This would be easy. And it was, but the old man acted like the gnocchi she made was a gift from the gods. 

It made her warm with delight, and she realized that it had been a very long time since she’d received a compliment. 

Well… except for strangers coming up and telling her that her eyes were amazing. That one she might have gotten a little sick of though. 

She laughed to herself, as the old man stared at her across the table and knew it was coming again.

“You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever been blessed to see,” he said solemnly, “They are really quite spectacular.”

“Thank you, Arthur…” she said humbly, calling him by his first name like he'd asked.

“And the food… Squisito!” he said, kissing his fingers to his lips.

She smiled and thanked him again. She was about to start clearing, hoping to avoid his questions, when he stopped her. She reservedly sat back down, preparing her answers. He sighed as his expression grew serious. 

“So… want to tell me why a girl your age doesn’t have a home to go to? A little thing like you shouldn’t be out on the streets alone. Did you… run away?”

“I’m tougher than I look,” she said lightly, trying to curb the subject.

But he just waited patiently for her to give a legitimate answer. 

Ugh. She hated this question. Which version should she give him? Not the whole truth, but maybe some of it?

"I… I never met my mother. And my father died… when I was very young.” 

In truth, it had only happened two years ago, when she was sixteen. When she had started to see strange things that she couldn’t explain. Her mind had expanded, as trails appeared, coming off of people and things. Various possibilities that she could decipher and solve.

She had tried to stop her father’s death that day, despite his indifference for her. Predicting to him, and her Nonna what was going to happen. But they had ignored her, punished her for her ridiculous ideas. So her father had gone to work… and never come home. 

Nonna had believed her then... and that had made everything much worse.

She felt the familiar ache go through her. If only her mother had been there… but she was only a fictitious character in her imagination. The one answer she could never find. Who was she? Did she think about her? She pushed the thoughts away and kept talking.

“I left last year, during the World Cup. There were so many people coming and going… it was… easy to get a ride.”

There had been furious Argentinians all over the city. Crowds of disappointed fans clashing with the winners.

“I bounced around a bit… and then I was in America,” she finished.

She couldn’t tell him what had almost happened to her on the journey, or how her newly gained powers had protected her. 

“Why’d you pick Seattle?” he asked.

She laughed, “The music?” she teased, before adding, “I was used to the city… all the people, all the life… and well… this is where I ended up…” she said with a frown. He didn’t need to hear that story either.

“So… you're not in trouble?”

“Trouble?” She realized he was actually concerned for her, “No, no trouble.”

He smiled happily, getting up from the table. 

“Well, in that case, you should meet my granddaughter. She’s an only child, and… my son… he doesn’t understand… A girl that age needs friends. She can’t always be working at his store…” 

She heard him grumble his way back to his chair, and went into the kitchen to do the dishes.

She stayed that night on the couch, and the next two. Always making sure to leave during the day so he wouldn’t grow sick of her being around. But he never did. 

When she came back the fourth night, he asked her to go down to his son’s store. He lifted up his bottle of Jameson, joking as he shook it, “Fresh out. But they know you are coming, I called down, so all you have to do is go pick it up.”

She smiled, and told him it was no problem, seeing through the guise. But whatever, she would meet the girl if he wanted her to, what harm could there be?

When she got to the store, she went inside. Standing at the counter, she heard a noise coming from the back. But she couldn’t see anyone around, so she just waited patiently. 

She heard a door chime, and a man came in. He was drunk, wavering through the aisles. His suit ruffled, his pockets turned out. He went to the liquor and grabbed a bottle from the shelf. Opening it, he started to stagger back as he took a sip, and then headed back to the front of the store.

“Hey, you are going to pay for that right?” she asked him.

She might have stolen in the past, but it was only strictly for survival purposes. Not because she was too wasted to care, like he obviously was. 

“Fuck off,” he mumbled at her; grabbing a bag of chips and heading for the door.

She should probably do something… this was Arthur’s son’s store…

She took a banana from the fruit stand by the counter. Peeling it carefully, as she watched him stumble towards the door. She bent down and slid it across the floor, right where his foot was about to land. 

He slipped instantly, falling on his back. 

“What… what happened?” he exclaimed, suddenly finding himself on the ground.

She went over and looked down at him, “I asked if you were going to pay for that.”

He rolled over, growing angry. And she realized she might have stepped over the line. Seeing the possibilities from his reaction, she stepped backwards.

She thought she heard footsteps from the back, but his shouting quickly masked them. Her mind zeroed in on his movements.

He got to his feet, still swearing at her. He had managed to hold onto the bottle. She saw what he planned to do with it, and got ready to dodge out of the way. But as it arched through the air in front of her, she heard a voice shout out.

“Stop!”

The man froze. Pallas glanced around and saw a girl behind her, staring at him with fierce eyes.

“Put the bottle on the counter.”

He did.

“Leave this store, go home, and forget what happened.”

And he walked out.

Pallas watched all of this with her mouth open in shock. A feeling she was not accustomed to. She turned to face the girl. 

She had soft blonde curls that cascaded down her back. Her eyes, a piercing amber, had lost their ferocity. Now she just looked uncertain. She smiled softly, and then went behind the counter.

“So, you must be Pallas, my grandpa told me you’d be coming,” she said nonchalantly as if nothing strange had happened.

“Yes…” she stuttered out, “He said…“ And then she trailed off, and pointed at the door, “I’m sorry… but… how did you just do that?”

She gave a self-effacing shrug, and held out her hand, “My name is Beverly.”

Pallas shook it, but as their skin touched something weird happened. She pulled away. The blonde gave her a stunned curious look, and slowly reached for her again. Pallas let her. 

Her eyes widened as she felt an energy she couldn’t explain. A giving, helpful, persuasive force ran through her hand, and up into her heart. She saw the girl’s string stretching out, and braiding with her own. 

And suddenly, she felt complete for the first time in her entire life.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

MARCH 1992

 

Pallas watched with narrowed eyes as Sean came into the store. She didn’t care if the two of them had known each other their whole lives, she didn’t trust him.

The moment that they had met, she’d known what he was. They hadn't needed to tell her. It was in his eyes. Predatory. Especially when he looked at her. But it seemed the second they turned back to Beverly they would soften again. 

When he had shaken her hand, measuring, she had felt him too. So different from Beverly’s energy. It was a cold, dormant, assessing force that she had withdrawn from right away. Especially when she had noticed his trail reaching out to wrap around theirs, like a vine strangling a tree.

“Hi,” the blonde greeted him with a hug.

Pallas looked away as he kissed her, staring down at the tile floor instead. She didn’t understand why the girl bothered with him. Despite their connection, she couldn’t see anything redeemable about Sean. But for some reason, Beverly did. A problem she felt compelled to fix. 

The girl was constantly doing things for others. Pallas both loved and hated this about her.

She looked back up, trying to hide her scowl as Sean gave her a cruel smile. He was perfectly aware of how she felt about him.

“Pallas, happy as usual?” he said, as Beverly pulled away from him to help a customer.

“Vaffanculo,” she muttered under her breath, glaring at him, knowing the reaction it would incite but saying it anyway.

Beverly laughed from behind the counter. She had taught her some Italian, and knew what that meant. Sean frowned at the two of them. The blonde composed her face, as she gave the change back to the customer.

As he opened his mouth to retort, Beverly interrupted him, “Please don’t start…”

He looked frustrated, and turned away from them, slamming his fist into his hand. When he glanced up at her again, his anger started boiling over. Pallas took a step back.

“What are you doing here anyway?” he demanded. Pointing over to Beverly he said, “The two of us are going out tonight. You aren't invited.”

Pallas sighed, “Chill out. I know.”

She looked over at the blonde, trying to read her expression, but she had closed herself off. She always did whenever they got into it. Instead, the girl went over to him, and took his hand. 

“Calm down, everything is okay,” she whispered softly. 

His expression softened, and he smiled, nodding. Staring down at her, he relaxed. He looked like he was about to kiss her again, so Pallas muttered a quick goodbye and left.

She had barely walked out of the store, when the blonde came running up behind her.

“Hold up,” she said, grabbing her hand, and leading her out of the way of a flood of pedestrians.

Pallas turned to face her, trying to stifle the emotions she knew the girl could feel. She pulled away from her.

“I’m sorry… that he’s like that with you…” Beverly said, sadly.

“He’s like that with everyone…”

The girl bit her lip anxiously, “Yeah… maybe… but he isn’t with me… at least…” she trailed off.

“Has he ever hurt you?” she asked her, thoughts of her own experiences with men running through her mind.

“You know he hasn’t.”

“I don’t know…” Pallas said, considering, “You could hide stuff from me if you really wanted to.”

Beverly looked surprised at her suggestion, “I… I wouldn’t use my words against you.”

Pallas was pretty sure this was true. The girl had only done it when she’d asked her to, and it had been really weird, like some other force had compelled her body to move. But she had also seen her make people forget.

If anyone were to have such a powerful ability… well... it couldn’t have been given to a better person. Beverly only used it to help others. Going out of her way to make someone’s day improve with just a kind suggestion. And sometimes doing much more that that.

Pallas remembered the first time they had saved someone. When they’d passed a woman with sad eyes heading down to the subway. She had casually mentioned to the blonde that the woman was on a bad trail. That her string had grown small and hollow, and was contemplating a choice. As the girl had grabbed her wrist, her power was amplified. And she saw what that choice was going to be.

Beverly had dragged her after the despondent woman.

As they’d followed, Pallas had told the girl about what she was seeing. The blonde had listened raptly while keeping her eyes on the woman. When she had tried to move towards her, Pallas had stopped, and told her they had to circle around, otherwise the crowd would intercept them.

It was like she had been able to see the scene laid out in front of her. The various paths and choices coming off every single person around her, echoing into the past and stretching way farther into the future, without the splits she was used to. A faint murmur had accompanied the people they’d passed, as if she could’ve heard their thoughts if she’d only just focused on them. 

It had been overwhelming. 

She had narrowed the crowd down to the woman, taking lead and pulling the girl after her. 

The woman had been staring at the tracks, waiting for the train to come. No one had noticed her as she’d walked closer and closer to the edge.

But they had.

Pallas had known that they couldn’t wait, but if they came up on her too fast, she would jump. If they came up from behind or if they shouted out, she would jump. 

So they had split apart as she’d told the girl to go to the woman’s other side. Pallas had moved next to her, ready to grab the woman from the edge, but Beverly had already been talking to her in a sweet, loving tone.

She’d gone back to the girl’s side and had felt her take her hand again.

“You’re right, nothing is this bad…” the woman had said, comprehension dawning.

Beverly gripped Pallas tighter, using her power to reach the woman’s future decisions as well, “And you won’t do anything like this ever again, right?”

“No. Not ever again.” 

“Because suicide is never the answer.”

“Suicide is never the answer.” The woman had repeated, growing optimistic, “I… I don’t know why I thought it was.”

The woman had laughed, suddenly realizing how close she was to the edge. She had backed up, and smiled at Beverly. 

“Thank you,” she had said, as a tear fell. 

And then the train had roared in, a flood of people had gotten off, and they had lost her in the crowd.

The only problem was now Pallas could see those withering strings everywhere. Drifting off people and splitting like dead ends. And she knew what they meant.

What was she suppose to do? Go after and stop all these depressed, lonely people? 

But Beverly always saw her face turn down as they passed one. And the blonde would pull her after them, asking her what she saw. Where their pain was. And it broke Pallas a little bit each time. But the girl’s energy was there to heal her. Filling in the cracks with something better. Each time they touched she felt a little closer to her, understanding the girl’s nature more and more. She wondered if she felt the same.

But Pallas didn’t know what she was supposed to do when she wasn’t with her. What the hell could she say to them? Nothing that could compare to Beverly’s soothing voice, telling them everything would be okay, that all they had to do was listen.

Sometimes afterwards people would even try to pay her, desperate to compensate her kindness. But Beverly would always back away quickly, shaking her head. Quietly erasing her from their memory. And then they would keep walking. 

She said she didn’t want them to remember her. That it had to be up to them. 

When she would walk down the street, all Beverly had to do was flash her compassionate smile at strangers as they passed, and they would light up, continuing on with a bounce in their step.

Sean didn’t deserve her.

Beverly studied her as she asked, “So… remember that guy Mark, the photographer? Sean said he asked about you… ” 

Pallas frowned, knowing where she was going with this, “No thanks…”

“Okay,” she said, curiously gazing at her, before adding half-heartedly, “Could be fun though… guess his parents are rich, and they have a big lake house in Oregon..."

She looked at the girl’s inquiring eyes, casually prodding, but just shook her head. Beverly opened her mouth to give voice to a question, but Pallas interrupted, not ready for her to ask.

“I wouldn’t trust Sean’s opinion of a guy anyway,” Pallas spoke with finality.

Beverly didn’t disagree. She just stood there looking defeated, “He’s… he’s not so bad… I mean… I’ve known him my whole life…”

Pallas didn’t understand why that mattered. Who gives a fuck if she’d known him for a long time? What does that have to do with it? But she stayed silent, knowing what would happen if she brought it up again. It had been the only time they’d fought.

So instead she slowly started to back away, pointing behind her, “Well, I’m going to your Grandpa’s before I head home, making him some dinner.” 

Since she had gotten an apartment in the same building, she would stop in on Arthur, and usually cook for him. It had become sort of a regular thing. She felt so fortunate to have met him that night. Dinner and company was the least she could do. 

Beverly gave her a hug and headed back in, briefly hesitating at the doorway to stare back at her. An ocean of unspoken thoughts floated between them, but Pallas just walked away. 

When she knocked, Arthur took a long time to answer. Finally, he let her in, collapsing back onto his chair as she shut the door.

“Bad day?” she asked.

He just flapped his hand, like it was no bother, “I’ve had worse.”

“Are you hungry?”

“No… not tonight,” he said, leaning back, “But sit with me a bit?”

She sat down on the couch opposite him, watching as he gripped the glass he was holding in pain, trying to act like he was fine. But she knew his right hip ached constantly, from a bullet that had shattered his bone in the war. 

“Are you sure you're okay?” she asked, noticing how he was compensating by leaning to the left.

“Yes, of course-” he said, gazing at her, and then smiled wryly, “I never can keep anything from you…okay, so it’s not so great. Distract me then? Where’s Beverly?”

“She’s with Sean,” she answered quietly.

“Oh,” he said, taking a sip and contemplating, “Something off about that boy.”

He had no idea… but all she said was, “I agree.” 

“He’s been weird his whole life…” he said, considering.

“How so?” she asked, urging him on.

“Well… little things... Doesn’t look it, but the kid’s stronger than an ox.” 

Arthur surprised her with a humorless laugh.

“One time when they were little, Beverly got herself caught up in the neighbor’s yard. Claims she was climbing the fence to get a ball that had gone over. But… there had been a dog, and well… one second it’s coming at her, and then the next Sean’s leaping over the fence like a stuntman, picking up the dog, that was twice his size mind you, and throwing it across the yard. Never seen anything like it before.” 

He gazed back into his memories, as Pallas waited for him to continue.

“But little Bev… she just ran right over to that dog, and started petting him, making sure it was okay,” he said. 

Pallas smirked involuntarily, but it died quickly as he kept speaking.

“She pulled Sean over as well, making him apologize to it, and stroke it’s fur… Getting him to calm down.”

She let Arthur grow quiet before asking almost inaudibly, “Why does it have to be her job to do that?”

He looked curiously over at her, tilting his head. 

She got up, “I’m going make some coffee. Do you want some?” she asked evadingly.

He held up his glass with a smile “No. I’m good. Could use some more ice though.”

While she was in the kitchen, she heard the phone ringing in the other room. She dropped what she was doing, and went back when she heard the concern in Arthur’s voice.

“Bev… sweetheart… what’s wrong?” he asked gently.

Arthur listened intently, and then looked over at her, “Yeah, she’s right here.”

Pallas shifted by the door as he beckoned her over. She took the phone from him, gripping it tightly, as she played anxiously with the cord. 

If he had hurt her, she would kill him.

“What happened?”

Beverly didn’t answer, she just asked her to come back to the store. Her voice sounded thick with panic.

“Yeah. I’ll leave right now.”

When she got there the lights were off and the door was locked. Carol, the sassy lady that worked nights was standing outside, smoking.

“Hey, do you know what the hell is going on?” the woman asked. “She won’t let me inside.”

Pallas just told her to go home, that she didn’t have to work tonight. Carol stared at her briefly, and then strolled off, not bothering to challenge it.

She waited for the woman to walk around the corner, and then knocked on the door. Beverly opened it almost right away, glancing both ways down the sidewalk and then quickly pulling her inside.

Pallas watched her shut the door and was about to ask who she was looking for, when she tripped over something and turned around. The words died on her lips. 

The store was trashed. Bottles smashed, aisles knocked over. Like a bull had been let loose to create as much destruction as possible.

“We have to clean this up.” Beverly said desperately, “My dad cannot see it like this.”

“What the fuck happened?” she asked, staring around in trepidation, and then straightening the shelf in front of her before it collapsed and caused more damage.

“I… I broke up with Sean.”

Pallas felt a smile break across her face and tried to hide it.

“He… he did all this?” she asked in shock. The huge cooler had been slid across the shop, ending up against the far wall. “Wow, I knew he was strong… but this…”

She looked over at the girl, and suddenly noticed that she was shaking. Concern filled her heart as she reached out to her. The blonde sank against her, choking on a sob, as tears of relief poured from her eyes.

“I’m so glad you're here,” she started, trying and failing to say more.

Pallas could feel the fear pouring off of her. Adrenaline started pumping through her blood in response.

She led her into the back, and pulled out the chair for her to sit down, taking off her coat and wrapping it around the girl. Beverly held it tightly up to her face, gripping the collar and breathing in. Pallas leaned against the desk, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She wasn’t shaking as badly anymore.

She waited until the blonde’s breathing evened out and then asked if she wanted to talk about it.

Beverly swallowed, and then began to speak in a shaky voice, “He… he lost it…”

Pallas nodded reassuringly, urging the girl on.

“He… started on about you when I came back in… but... I changed the subject, and then he talked about our powers. What we should use them for… and what a waste it would be if we didn’t and…” Beverly said, eyes turning angry, “And I realized you were right, what do I owe him?” 

Finally, she thought. 

“He will never change… and… then I did it. I told him I was done. And… god, something happened. His eyes…” she said, starting to shake again. 

“He started towards me, but I told him to stay away… but then he started to destroy the store… and I screamed at him to stop, but… he was making so much noise, the crashes… and the rage… and then he stared over at me...” She started to cry, “He looked so betrayed… so hurt… I told him to leave, and he stormed out.” She put her face in her hands, breathing out, “God, I’m so stupid…”

“No… no you're not,” Pallas said, reaching out and pulling her hands away from her face, “You… you just care too much. But it’s one of the best things about you.”

Beverly looked up at her, eyes shiny, hands in hers. They just stared, silently reading each other.

Pallas felt a wave of emotion from the girl roll through her, a reluctant desire. It matched her own too closely. She pulled away from her, not knowing what to do with it.

Beverly just sighed and stood up, “Come on… we have to start cleaning…”

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

MAY 1992

 

Pallas had two tickets hidden behind her back. She was so excited to show Beverly, that she practically sprinted to the door when she heard a key in the lock. She opened it quickly, not able to wait, and smiled widely as she saw the blonde standing there, surprised, key in hand.

“You are going to freak,” she said jokingly, full of anticipation.

“What is it?” she asked excitedly as she came into the apartment. She threw her bag down, and turned back towards her. 

Pallas grinned again, savoring the moment, “You sure you want to know?” she asked, teasingly.

“Oh my god. Did you…” Beverly started to ask with wide eyes.

She pulled the tickets from behind her back, “I did!”

The girl jumped up into the air, grabbing the tickets from her and screaming in excitement.

“Tori Amos! I can’t believe you got them!”

Pallas lit a cigarette and leaned against the table. Watching happily as the girl twirled around the room. 

She was delighted over being able to give her this moment. It was the happiest she had seen her in over a month. The girl barely smiled anymore, except for when they were for another’s benefit. She was so good at helping everyone else, but she wasn’t able to turn that energy inward. Even when Pallas had made her laugh, it would only be for a second, and then her eyes would find hers and grow somber. She didn’t know how to fix it.

But now the girl was chuckling merrily as she placed the tickets carefully on the table, and stared down at them. Pallas wanted to see what her excitement felt like, so she reached over and offered her the cigarette. As Beverly took it from her hand, their fingers briefly touched, and she felt a thrill of ecstatic joy flow through her. 

Wow, she really loved Tori Amos… 

After they saw her in concert, Pallas began to understand why. As they left The Backstage, they were walking on a cloud of glee. The show had been amazing.

“And she came back out twice!” Beverly danced around, “And then she cover Smells like Teen Spirit! Oh my god, that was filthy fucking awesome!”

Pallas laughed as she teased her. The girl didn’t swear much, and when she did it was because her filter had broken away, and she had lost herself in the moment.

“I’m not going to be able to sleep, let’s go somewhere,” Beverly suggested, still vivaciously reliving the concert next to her.

She thought she meant a bar or something, but instead the girl led her towards the bay. As they walked, the blonde put her arm through hers. Pallas tried to read what she felt from her touch, but it was clouded. 

“You know, you could always just ask,” Beverly said slyly.

Pallas smiled innocently, and joked, “Whatever could you mean?” 

They both knew. But it was this weird little thing they never really talked about. Every time they peered into each other’s emotions, they learned to control it better. Sharing a part of themselves bit by bit. 

Pallas could feel Sean there too, scars left behind throughout the years. And she wondered if Beverly could sense her wounds as well.

Just as she started thinking about them, she felt the girl look over at her sadly. They reached the water, and she turned towards her.

“I’m sorry,” Pallas said, knowing she had brought the girl down with her.

“It’s okay,” she said, still holding on to her arm. “We… we should talk… That’s why I brought us this way. No one’s around…” She laughed idly, adding, “And the ocean looks pretty.”

She felt a nervous energy pulse through the girl and into her. Pallas could see where this conversation could go. She pulled away, full of anticipation, taking out her cigarettes for something to do. As she offered her one, Beverly shook her head.

She didn’t really want one either. She put them back away, and paid attention to the string of possibilities laid out before her. She saw all the different paths it could go down, leading back to the second she’d gotten those tickets. She started feeling overwhelmed as she tried to track them all. There was a crossroads coming up, and she felt doubt creeping up on her.

Beverly could see her attention diverted. She frowned, knowing what it meant.

“Can I… try something?” she asked sweetly.

Pallas nodded, and was about to ask what exactly she meant when the blonde took her hand and spoke, using her persuasive words.

“Your powers will not work for ten minutes,” she commanded.

Pallas felt the air shift, and the world as she had seen it for the last three years changed. She could no longer see the strings trailing off everything that moved. No longer burdened by the odds and probability, like a math equation stuck in her head, constantly begging to be solved.

She could still feel it lying dormant inside her, sleeping in a curled bundle at the back of her brain, but it was hidden for now. She blinked, and stared around, seeing everything in a new light. Awash in relief, she smiled.

Beverly looked at her curiously, “Did it work?” 

“Wow, yeah…” She stammered in awe as she tried to explain, “It’s like… when you get a song stuck in your head, over and over, and then suddenly it’s gone and you can’t even recall what the tune of it was.” 

A smirk crossed her face, “So… you don’t know what I’m going to do?”

Pallas studied her, trying to analyze, and came up blissfully empty. She shook her head shyly, suddenly vulnerable.

“Good,” Beverly smiled, oozing a confidence that she hadn't possessed in a while.

“What… what did you want to talk about?” Pallas stuttered out, noticing how her hair shined in the moonlight, the curls catching the light as she moved.

Beverly put her hands behind her back, as if she was willing herself not to reach out. 

“I… I just wanted to… I wanted to ask-” she paused to clarify, “Actually ask.”

The blonde swallowed and tried again, and then threw her hands up, exasperated, “Oh, Pallas don’t make me say it, I know you feel it too.”

A hope ran through her that she dared not breath life into. She tried to stop herself but the words dropped out of her mouth, “I… I do.”

The moment grew between them, but neither of them said anything.

Hesitantly, Beverly moved towards her, and softly kissed her cheek. And then pulled away as slowly as she’d come and stared into her eyes, seeking her reaction. She leaned forward again to kiss the other side. 

Pallas gently turned her head as she drew near, and it landed near her mouth instead. Beverly drew back, smirking, and then went for it.

They both gave in as their lips met. Sighing into each other’s mouths, as months of unspoken desire fueled their kiss. They sank against each other, closing the gap between them.

Pallas suddenly felt her powers return. A surge of the girl’s emotions ran through her, and she pulled her closer, running her hands through her hair and deepening the kiss. Slowly they broke apart, giggling together over the built up tension.

Pallas hugged her relaxingly, enjoying the contrast of her dark hair mingling with Beverly’s blonde strands. She put her face into her neck, and breathed in her skin. Memorizing every detail of the emotions she elicited.

She felt a small sadness run through her as well. She pulled back, hands resting on the girl’s shoulders. She saw tears gathering in her eyes, and felt one fall down her own cheek.

“I… I’ve wanted to do that for so long…” Beverly told her, reaching over and wiping away the tear from Pallas’s face.

She nodded in agreement, resting against the girl’s hand.

“I don’t care what people think…” Beverly smiled at her, “I… I love you.”

Pallas felt a deep joy reverberating in her heart. She leaned forward this time, letting go of her fear. As the sound of the water echoed across the pavement, she kissed her again.


	16. Chapter 16

Vancouver 2013

 

They were lucky Max was with them. Chloe didn’t even want to think about having to wait in all these lines. As she gripped the girl’s hand, they snuck quickly through the door, swaying on their feet as time resumed. They all stumbled forward, and a girl coming out of the bathroom jumped back in surprise.

“Sorry…” Max giggled drunkenly. 

They kept walking, trying not to laugh at the look on her face. Chloe glanced around happily, and then pulled them out to dance.

They’d been bar hopping all night, making their way up Granville Street, gleefully celebrating Rachel’s birthday. This was, hands down, the biggest, most beautiful city Chloe had ever been to, and there was more to look at than she thought possible. Driving had been a bit of a nightmare, but they’d left the truck at the hotel’s garage and walked, staring around with wide eyes reflecting the lights of the city. 

Rachel had been the most comfortable, settling into the energy of the metropolis almost instantly, and pulling the others along with her. Chloe was happy she had followed through in bringing her here. It had been Sera’s idea. As she danced with her girlfriend, smiling at her laughter, she knew this was the best birthday present she could give her. A change of setting for her to lose herself in.

She and Sera had discussed the surprise a while ago, planning the places they should visit. She had even booked their hotels. When she’d died, Chloe had almost given up on it, making excuses for why they shouldn’t go. But the reservation, flashing in her inbox, had been a subtle reminder from the woman. 

They were still young and alive. 

She felt a sad smile cross her face as she thought about what she had planned for tomorrow night. But for now, they were all just having fun letting Rachel lead them where she wanted to go.

She was glad the two girls had gotten their whole light show thing under control, because they couldn’t avoid touching in a crowd like this. She laughed as she imagined what everyone’s reaction would be if they suddenly started glowing on the dance floor.

Chloe broke away and went to get a drink. She leaned against the bar, sipping it slowly and grinning at all the exuberant life around her. 

Starting to crave another cigarette, she glanced out across the club. There were scores of people dancing, but she didn’t have any trouble picking them out of the crowd. She watched Max laugh as Rachel tried to get her to come closer. The blonde took her hands, and twirled her around, telling her a joke that Chloe couldn’t hear. They chuckled together, moving to the music.

Then the song changed, and the tempo switched to a slow bass thump. Max moved away hesitantly, scanning through the crowd. Chloe just stood there at the bar waiting for her eyes to find her. When they finally did, she smirked softly, gazing back. The brunette looked at her with a poignant expression, and then slowly started walking over. 

Rachel glanced back briefly to see where she was headed, but then a good-looking guy jumped in, filling Max’s place. The blonde laughed, charmed by his moves, and kept dancing with him. Chloe watched to make sure he wasn’t trying anything, but he just seemed to be a really good dancer. People were instinctively moving back to give them more room.

Max leaned next to her, and they watched Rachel together. They weren’t the only ones. Chloe could see people continually glancing over as they effortlessly danced to the beat, thriving and full of life.

“This was a good idea,” Max yelled over the noise, “For her birthday, I mean.”

Chloe nodded and smiled, “Yeah, seems like she’s having fun. Letting go a bit.”

She wanted to keep talking, but didn’t want to scream over the music. She held up her cigarettes and gestured to the door, pantomiming the question. 

As they headed outside, Chloe took a fresh breath of air and tried to clear the ringing from her ears. She was at that level of drunkenness where a strange clarity had filled her mind. She opened her cigarettes, and leaned against the wall.

“Can I have one?” Max asked, putting up her hand.

“Are you sure?” Chloe started teasing her, “I don’t know Mad Max, I think you are getting a little too wild…”

“Pfft…” 

“That’s all you have to say?”

“Come on, give me one?”

She handed her a cigarette as she chuckled, lighting it for her and then standing back. Max started coughing up a storm the second she hit it. Chloe couldn’t help but laugh, as the girl looked up to her with watery eyes, solemnly handing her the cigarette back. She put it to her own lips with a smile, before teasing and making her promise to never try that again.

They grew serious as she began to tell Max about the plan for tomorrow night. About Boundary Bay and the stars, and what she had brought with her. She thought a part of Rachel might already know, but she couldn’t tell for sure. The blonde had been intermittently withdrawn on the ride here, perking up randomly as they’d passed something that caught her interest. 

Since they’d driven the same highway the entire trip, and both the girls had been quiet, Chloe had found her own mind wandering. The memory that she’d seen had been the principal thing occupying her thoughts. That unwavering gratitude she had felt hadn't left her yet. As fucked up as it was, Max had been her hero, rescuing her from a life she despised. Full of waiting and routine. A nightmare of dependency.

There was a connection she had made in the truck, but Max had been sleeping. She blew out smoke, and then turned to ask the girl now.

“Hey so… what you’ve been doing the past week, do you think that explains those blackouts you’ve had your whole life?”

“Blackouts… what blackouts?” Max asked her. “What are you talking about?”

“You know… when you were a kid? How you black out sometimes when you take pictures? I thought of it on the way here. Do you think that was you, from now…?”

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Max suddenly realized that she had altered her timeline. Blackouts? She didn’t remember any blackouts from when she was a kid. But this Max did. 

Oh shit, she really hadn't thought about that. When she went back to erase she still took up that Max’s time. Even if it was brief… 

She had only gone back to a couple pictures. And would usually just stay still, but the one with Chloe’s dad… When she had been forced to just watch William pick up the keys and walk out of the house, she had started crying, apologizing to Chloe as she dissipated back into her present self. 

“Do you remember… the day with your Dad, when he left…?” Max asked slowly.

Chloe looked at her sharply, questioning where she was going, “Of course I remember.”

“When he walked out of the house that day…” Max started to say.

Chloe interrupted her with a gasp of realization.

“You… you told me you had my back, and that I should be strong… but then you didn’t remember saying it a few moments later… that… that was your first blackout, right? You were so freaked out,” Chloe said, turning to her in surprise, “So it was you? Like now you?”

Max nodded her head, thinking back, remembering how she had broken with emotion despite herself. She had been so sure when she’d tossed those keys outside... but, there were always consequences. And those ones had been too hard to bear. 

She sighed and put her hand to her forehead.

“I… shit… I might have accidentally changed some stuff… You have to tell me everything that’s happened, in case it’s different. I should check my journal as well…” she said, starting to absently walk away from the club.

She had to find out. Now that she knew how time could work, she was worried she had made some irrevocable alteration to her life.

“Hold up,” Chloe said, stopping her, “We aren't leaving, yet, goofball... I’ll tell you.”

She began to talk. Max listened carefully, making sure everything had happened as she remembered. She didn’t hear any differences. And she asked a lot of questions to make sure. 

As they reached the last week, Chloe started growing reticent with her words. 

“And then Rachel and you…” she said and then slowly stopped talking.

Max nodded, trying to push past it. She had apologized several times, so instead she asked, “Did the light happen the same way, the voices?”

“Yes. I heard my dad. And when my eyes clouded over, I saw something you guys didn’t. There were… people moving on the other side or… I’m not sure. Some force…?” Chloe said rubbing her neck. “It was like a blinding white hole, instead of a black one. A tunnel to somewhere else. I have no idea… This is all pretty fucked up.”

“Yeah, can we just talk about how fucked up this is for a second? I mean, my god, what the hell is going on? It’s so weird,” Max said, laughing, “I can control time? You can see the other side, and Rachel could… could… set this whole club on fire if she wanted to!” 

The guy next to her glanced over suspiciously at her comment. But she just casually smiled, and then pretended she was talking about a movie. Chloe laughed as he turned back away.

“Smooth, Max…” she teased.

Shit, she shouldn’t have said that so loud. But she was a little drunker than she was used to being. Usually, she’d just have a beer or two and then stop. 

She wondered if Rachel was still dancing with the same guy. And what song was playing. She felt an eager excitement run through her. She just wanted the noise, and the movement, and the turn your brain off and dance atmosphere. It was refreshing after being in her dorm all week, obsessing over time and choices. 

Max stopped leaning against the wall and said, “Lets go get another drink, check on the birthday girl…”

“Okay…” Chloe said, shuffling in front of her, contemplating, like she wanted to say more.

She studied the girl, guessing at what it was. Should she just ask her? Hell, she could always rewind, right? 

“Are you still mad at me… about Rachel?” she asked, the alcohol giving her confidence.

“I… well… we talked about it... and…” Chloe trailed off, looking unsure of how to continue.

“What did she say?” Max asked curiously.

“Okay,” Chloe said with drunken resolution, “I’m just gonna say it.”

Max waited patiently.

“Was there ever a timeline where all three of us…?”

Max raised her eyebrows and gave her a shy smile. She laughed nervously, and then nodded.

“Maybe… the last one… I’m not sure, but we were all pretty close. We were also in the middle of like… a warzone at Blackwell. So things were intense. We were getting ready to go on the run, and fighting for our freedom, so it’s not like I had time to ask…”

“Did you tell them that you weren’t you?”

“Not that time… but…” Max said, thinking back.

“What?”

“The timeline I stayed in touch with you… when you never met Rachel? You and I were… together… and when I flashed back into that present, we were sitting in your room. And the other you knew right away what had happened. She started getting all freaked out, asking me to bring her Max back…”

The girl’s eyes widened as she talked. Max told her how, as she’d found the photo to go back to, and asked questions about that timeline, the other Chloe had wondered anxiously that she was going to disappear.

“That’s... why I didn’t say anything. I don’t know what happens to them when I jump back into my reality… If they disappear… Or…” she said, and then lowered her eyes, suddenly feeling more sober. 

Were they still trapped at Blackwell? Or had they managed to escape by now? 

Was Rachel dead, buried in some shallow grave and Mark Jefferson and Nathan roaming free? Still taking their sick little pictures.

Was William burying his daughter, after he found her as Max had left her? IV in her arm…

She had tried to explain to them earlier, about what she’d read about quantum entanglement and if she was able to go there, and here, and both those universes existed, and she could affect change upon them and they could inflict change on hers... But she had enough trouble trying to explain it to herself. Her brain just didn’t work that way; she kept trying to force it to understand.

“Hey…” Chloe said, calling her back.

The girl held out her arms, and pulled her into a hug. Max rested against her, fitting seamlessly. She felt a comforting emotion pulse through. Their connection seemed to be opening easier each time they touched, and she read through what she could feel from Chloe. The girl’s happiness, her uncertainty, her sadness over Sera, her trepidation about tomorrow, her restrained longing.

She pulled away slowly, looking up at her. Chloe smiled, arms still around her.

“Rachel is right… we’re not like normal people…” she said, slowly, “I can… I can like… feel what your feeling right now. I… I don’t know how to explain it.”

“You don’t have to...” Max said, running her fingers down the girl’s tattoo, tracing the pattern of the vines, and reading the emotions it induced, “I can feel it too.”

Just then, Rachel came out, followed by the guy she had been dancing with. When she saw them embraced she gave a sly smirk, and casually introduced him.

“Felix, this is Max and Chloe... Felix lives in Toronto, but he’s here for work,” she said, and then added affectionately, “And he’s a really good dancer.”

“So are you! Almost had me all tuckered out,” he said laughing. “But I'm done with this music... Would you ladies like to go somewhere where we can really dance?”

They all agreed, and continued on in good spirits. Chloe made a joke about having to wait in the lines now. Oddly enough, Felix laughed as well. 

As he led them back north, towards the water, they chatted happily. He had beautiful caramel skin, a clean-shaven face, and dark silky hair. His eyes glistened with intelligence. Max liked him right away, though it might’ve had something to do with the alt-j shirt he had on.

“I love that band,” Max said pointing at it.

“Me too. You know they are going to be at Lollapalooza this year? I’d love to go. I saw them back in February in Sydney, but I was sort of distracted…” he said, trailing off.

“Australia? So you travel a lot?” Max asked, wishing she could do the same.

“You have no idea,” he said with a laugh. “Let’s just say… I’m good at getting around.”

Max gazed at him, about to ask more, but he just casually shook his head, like it wasn’t something he wanted to start talking about. He moved up in front of her and kept walking next to Rachel, chatting about music festivals. 

Chloe smiled over at her, “Would you want to go see them? I bet they are touring around here too.”

She was about to answer, but stopped talking when she heard what Felix was curiously asking Rachel.

“So… which one is your girlfriend?” 

The blonde took a moment to answer, and then gave a wily shrug, “What if I were to tell you they both were?”

Max and Chloe looked at each other, mouths open in surprise.

But Felix just laughed, “Ahh, the power of three... Beginning, middle, and end... Past, present, and future.”

Max was intrigued by what he was saying, and was about to ask him to elaborate when they reached the club. They joined the line, waiting to go inside. Chloe leaned against the wall, lighting another cigarette, and got a dirty look from the girl in front of her. 

“Man, you Canadians are touchy about smoking, huh?” Chloe teased Felix, blowing out her smoke in the other direction.

“Some of us,” he chuckled, “Hope you stocked up at the Duty Free though, their like fourteen dollars a pack here.”

“Yeah, someone warned me about that…” Chloe responded, eyes growing somber. 

Max cleared her throat, and asked inquisitively “So, there’s power in the number three? How do you know about it?”

He just shrugged timidly, “I’m just into to that stuff… finding meaning in multiplicity.”

“Tell us about it?” Rachel asked him sweetly.

“Okay…” he said, putting his hand on his chin to think, “It’s the first number that can create a geometric shape, the first odd number… ” 

He started slowly, getting more into it, “Three is sacred in most religions. The holy trinity. The maiden, mother, and crone. It represents overcoming duality, and is a complete cycle unto itself. The Triad, birth, life, and death.” 

“Cool,” Max said, glancing over and catching Rachel smiling at her.

“I think it is,” Felix said before growing somber, “There is so much symbolism lying around, scattered across the years of human history. We have left so much behind… But not everyone is into such weird stuff like me… don’t even get me started on the multiverse theory…”

“What do you know… about quantum entanglements?” Rachel asked him, grabbing the cigarette pack out of Chloe’s pocket. 

Chloe gave her a ‘be careful what you say’ look, but the blonde just flirtingly flashed her eyes up at her. They all shared a moment of silent communication, and then looked back to Felix, waiting for him to answer. 

“Ah, spooky action at a distance…” he said and then glanced around nervously, noticing their serious attitude, ”Why do you all care so much?”

“Just curious…” Max said, trying to be casual. 

She genuinely wanted to know his opinion. She wasn’t sure why, but there was something oddly familiar about him. He studied her, looking into her eyes, as if he had recognized something as well. Max didn’t know what his expression meant. She tilted her head questioningly.

Noticing that they’d neared the front of the line, Rachel turned up her charisma, and got his attention. 

“Or we can go in and dance if you want… if you think you can keep up with me.”

“Ooo, a challenge,” he said, chuckling, “You are on. I think you’re really gonna like this place.”

Max hung back as the girls lead him through the door. She wandered away inconspicuously and then froze time. Sneaking by the bouncer, she met them inside. When she reappeared, she thought she saw Felix smiling at her knowingly, but then he turned away, and she wasn’t sure if she’d imagined it or not. 

A different music filled her ears, and she looked around with a grin, distracted by all the vivacity around her. He was right; this was going to be fun.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel opened her eyes, and winced. Her body felt sore from all the dancing. She rolled from her side onto her stomach, raising her head to glance over. Chloe was still sleeping next to her, curled under the covers. 

They had gone to a Latin club, and Felix had shown her how to salsa dance. It had been a blast. She had picked it up quickly, and danced with him all night as they’d continued drinking. 

Max had been hilarious, as she’d gotten more and more inebriated, staring around at all the sexy Latinas with a goofy grin. Rachel had pulled her and Chloe onto the dance floor, trying to teach them what she herself had so easily learned. She had finally let herself forget about the fire for a bit and just enjoyed the night. 

She might have gotten a little too drunk, though, remembering that when they stumbled into the hotel, she had started to think about Sera again and had grown sullen. Chloe and Max had been able to tell right away, and as the elevator doors had closed, the two girls had taken her hand, soothing her with their own thoughts. The link between like a muscle, growing stronger and stronger. 

Rachel stretched, feeling grateful, as bits of memory floated through her mind. They had all passed out pretty quickly, but she remembered what Chloe had said before kissing them both goodnight.

She stood up, feeling a wave of the alcohol in her system. She still felt a little drunk, but it was better than being hung-over. She looked down and saw she still had her clothes from last night on. All she wanted to do was get in the shower, and let the water rain down on her.

She went to the bathroom, and heard the shower already going. She thought about what they had decided last night. How Chloe had whispered Shakespeare to them as they’d fallen asleep, after telling them both how she felt. Had they just been drunken sentiments?

Chloe didn’t know what that line of Prospero’s actual meant, but Rachel did, and when the girl had said it, she’d heard both meanings. Their lives were temporary, and could be cut wickedly short. And Chloe was in love with both of them.

Rachel debated, and then softly knocked on the door. 

“Almost done,” Max said from the other side, speaking over the shower.

“Can I come in?” Rachel asked quietly. Just the sound of the water made her long to be under it.

There was a moment of hesitation, and then she heard the girl say yes. Rachel went in, and gently closed the door behind her. The bathroom was full of steam, and the mirror was all fogged up. Max peeked out from behind the curtain.

“What’s up?” she asked curiously.

Rachel started brushing her teeth, already comforted by the proximity of the hot water. She turned around, and leaned against the counter, trying to be nonchalant. 

“Just wanted to get in the shower… always helps after a night of drinking.” 

Max closed her eyes, playing up the relaxation, “Tell me about it, it’s great, ” she teased with a giggle, “Too bad, you’re gonna have to wait.”

“Oh yeah?” she shot back, challengingly, putting her toothbrush away, and glancing over at her.

She slowly slipped her shirt off her head, enjoying the girl’s reaction. Max’s eyes widened in surprise, and she almost slipped in the tub. As Rachel took off her last article of clothing, laughing at her stupefied expression, she snuck behind the curtain, and stole the stream of hot water from the girl.

“Hey, no fair!” Max said jokingly.

“This is all I was coming in for,” she said innocently, closing her eyes and letting the shower sooth her body.

“No way! I’m getting cold…” the girl laughed, pretending to shiver.

“Well, you’ll just have to come closer then,” Rachel said idly, still focusing on the lulling warmth of the shower’s spray.

She pulled her into her, sharing the hot water. As they touched, she could feel Max’s insecurity. She opened her eyes and traced her fingers over the freckles on her shoulder, liking how the brunette sighed shakily as she reached her chest.

“You're beautiful, Max,” she whispered softly into her ear.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Holy shit. 

Rachel was standing in front of her like a goddess, water raining down her body, flecks of it bouncing off and hitting her own. Max felt self-conscious for a second, but then the blonde started to trail her hands across her skin, and she felt their emotions start to meld.

Suddenly, Max felt confident, and sure of herself, and she didn’t know if those were her feelings or Rachel’s. Moving her hair over her shoulder, out of the way, she glanced down at the girl’s tan body, and longed to kiss her. 

But she wasn’t sure what this was… or where it was going. She knew what Chloe had said last night, but they’d all been pretty drunk. 

Shit. Should she get out?

“Max… it’s alright,” Rachel whispered softly, reading the emotions coming off of her. 

Leaning in and dragging the last word out, and clouding Max’s mind even more, she added, “We’re just showering…” 

“Fine then… just showering,” Max said assuredly, grabbing the soap, “Want me get your back then?”

The blonde nodded happily, closed her eyes, and then turned around. The steady stream of the hotel’s never-ending hot water shifted to her other side. 

She started with the girl’s neck lathering the soap into her skin, paying attention to the emotions she could now read. The blonde’s energy was radiating leisurely content, and it ran through Max, encouraging her. She was enjoying the massage. Rachel put a hand against the wall, as Max started to rub her shoulders.

As she slowly moved her hands down her back, she dug deeper mentally, concentrating on trying to decipher what she felt. She found Rachel’s impulsive nature fighting against her intellectual one.

Max smiled, despite herself, “You’re not sure about it either… whether she meant what she said.”

The blonde chuckled, and asked, “What else can you feel?” 

She moved back up to her shoulders, studying the girl’s emotions.

“You’re relaxed, and… I… I can feel what you want to do… and how you’re stopping yourself,” Max said softly.

She stepped away, taking her hands off her. The blonde turned around, questioningly. Max handed her the soap. As their hands touched, she felt a slight disappointment from the girl that her massage was over. 

“Is this supposed to be a distraction?” Rachel asked, holding up the soap, “Because I think it’s gonna make it more difficult.”

“Uh oh… we wouldn’t want things to be difficult,” Max teased her with a laugh, and then joked, “You just want me to keep rubbing your back.”

Rachel closed her eyes with a smirk, enjoying the hot water, “Of course I do…”

Imbibing a daring from the girl she didn’t usually possess, Max reached out and slowly ran her hand down the blonde’s stomach. Rachel opened her eyes again, and raised her eyebrows.

She smiled at the girl’s anticipation, but then stopped just above her waist and started trailing back up. As she reached her chest, she flipped the switch in her mind, and a flash of light glinted between them. Rachel gasped in reaction. 

Max watched as the girl’s eyes lit up, and felt an overwhelming desire pouring off her, like the water cascading down upon them. The blonde dropped the soap, and grabbed her waist, switching spots with her. Max felt her back against the tile as Rachel took her hands and held them away from her.

“Max… that was just cruel…” Rachel whispered seductively, staring into her eyes.

They both squinted away from the light coming off their hands. 

“Maybe…” she answered with a smirk, turning the energy back off.

They gazed at each other longingly as Max watched the yellow slowly disappear from her eyes. She could feel the blonde’s resistance crumbling, her own going with it. Before she even knew what she was going to say, words tumbled out of her mouth. 

“Just… just kiss me.”

Rachel chuckled and leaned forward, drawing her in. Max closed her eyes expectantly, but the blonde went to her ear instead and whispered. 

“What was it that you wanted me to do?” 

Max gripped her hands tighter, concentrating on what she was feeling, and sending it out to the girl. Rachel breathed against her neck, studying her emotions, and then hissed in as Max turned the energy back on. The bright glow flashed between them again.

As the water poured down, adding to the heat of their skin, Rachel kissed her. She felt the girl’s grip grow weak and their hands slowly slid down the wall. Max pulled hers away and put them on the blonde’s hips as her mouth opened and their tongues came together. 

The light between them was blinding in the small space, so they navigated by touch. Rachel pressed her thigh in between her legs, and Max’s heart skipped a beat. She reached her hands further down and pulled the girl against her, moaning her name into her mouth.

She felt the blonde smile, and then noticed the light was changing. She opened her eyes, and broke the kiss.

“Rachel, the curtain!” 

A blue flame was encircling them, dancing dangerously close to the shower curtain. The blonde redirected it, sending it into the water. As the fire met it, steam started to fill the bathroom. 

Max kept her right hand on the girl’s hip and raised her left, freezing the flame to try to stop the steam. It turned a blinding white, starting to bend and refract. They both stopped to stare at it, waiting to see what was going to happen. But it just floated there, shining against the tile, illuminating their bodies. 

“It won’t turn into the window without Chloe,” Rachel said, yellow dancing around her pupils.

The blonde leaned into her ear and added in a strained voice, “Who… you should probably do this with first…”

Max eyed Rachel’s skin, admiring how it looked in the light. She could feel the way the power was affecting the girl, and it was intoxicating, like a perpetual state of control and wild abandon. But she just nodded slowly, squinting back at the glowing sphere. She forced herself to turn off the switch and pull away. The orb of light flashed and disappeared, and the steam engulfed the shower. They both started coughing.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Chloe was deep in slumber as desire rolled through her, changing her average dream into something else. 

She was with Max in her room. They were lying next to each other on the bed, giggling nervously. It was like a scene was playing out, a memory from another timeline that wasn’t hers. She could see through her bangs, and noticed with surprise that they weren’t yet blue. And Max’s hair seemed longer, falling down past her shoulders.

Words came out of her mouth that she couldn’t control, as if they were preordained. 

“Are you sure you're ready?” she asked the brunette.

“Are you?” Max shot back, teasingly, climbing on top of her.

“Hell yes,” she answered excitedly, making the girl laugh.

“Me too,” she smiled, running her hand down her arm like she’d done last night in real life, but there was no tattoo there yet to trace. 

She felt herself swallow, hard, as the girl touched her.

Max giggled with confidence at her expression, “We’ve been dating for years… I… I don’t want to wait anymore.”

Chloe could actually feel Max’s fingers on her skin, and the way her own shook on the girl’s hips as she watched the brunette take off her shirt. 

This is a really realistic dream, she thought to herself, but it didn’t feel like her others. It felt like she was reliving a recollection. And then Max slowly reached behind and removed her bra and, her brain short-circuited. 

Should she stop this? Could she even stop it? This private moment, that she would never have. Both of them losing their virginities to each other in some other existence. 

But her hands moved on her own, and they started to kiss, tentatively reaching out and exploring each other. And just as she started to let herself forget that it wasn’t hers, something suddenly woke her up.

The door busted open and the girls spilled out of the bathroom, towels wrapped around them. Both of them coughing and laughing. Rachel went and opened the window, while Max made sure the fan was on in the bathroom.

“What… what happened?” Chloe said sleepily, closing her eyes again, and trying to get back to her dream.

She curled back up, tucking the pillow under her head and pulling the blanket over her shoulder comfortably. Already feeling sleep calling her back into its cozy embrace.

“Rachel started a fire, from the mere sight of me in the shower,” Max said, teasing the blonde.

“Good thing we were under the water,” Rachel said, giggling.

“Hey, maybe that’s why you like showers so much… they extinguish you,” Max said, adding, “You still owe me a massage by the way…”

Okay, so this was happening now. And… she found herself sort of okay with it. She listened to their flirty banter as she slowly fell back asleep. She hoped for the Max dream, but it didn’t return. Instead, a new one took its place. A vicious nightmare. 

She found herself swimming in deep water again. Dread consumed her, and she was suddenly terrified. 

She wasn’t in the Blackwell pool this time. She could not see the sides. 

Darkness surrounded her as she tried to keep her head above a surface she could barely decipher. She shut her eyes and tried to stifle the panic. Treading water steadily, she tried to focus on her other senses. Fear struck her again as she imagined something lurking below, biding it’s time, reaching out slowly-

Don’t freak out, don’t freak out, don’t freak out. 

She hated being in this inky black water, vulnerable on all sides. Hated that nothing was happening, and that she was just waiting, swimming, in a vast abyss of shadows. 

Okay. Concentrate. 

It smelled like lake water. And summer air. It was warm out, and the scent of pine was in the distance. And then she felt a familiar viperous energy. 

Victoria?

Unexpectedly, flames licked across the horizon, filling her vision with a bright strip of orange. She could see the shoreline burning and reflecting off the water. And suddenly she knew where she was. 

She had only been to Rachel’s cabin once. They had gone out on the lake, taking the boat to the middle to swim. She could recognize the shape of the trees. 

It was the same lake. 

Suddenly, the memory of the town that Victoria had showed her clicked, and she realized why she had recognized it. It was the little town they had passed through on the way to the cabin, when she had gone with Rachel and her parents a couple summers ago.

The flames shot up from the forest and into the sky. Dripping across the starless night, forming letters. She sputtered as something grabbed her ankle, and she frantically tried to escape it. Adrenaline shot through her as she was yanked below the surface. 

But she had been able to read the words before the water filled her mouth. 

STOP HIM.

She woke up, gasping for air. 

Rachel was eating yogurt leaning against the bed board next to her.

“Fuck,” the blonde said, “That was a long one.”

Max peeked in from the bathroom, “Is she awake?”

Chloe sat up slowly, trying to shake off the fear. She put her hand to her forehead, and quietly muttered, “Jesus, Victoria… that was intense...”

“What did you see?” Max asked, coming into the room.

Both the girls were dressed and ready. Chloe looked over at the clock.

“Holy shit! It’s already 5pm?” Chloe jumped up, “What the fuck? We have to go.”

“Go?” Rachel asked, intrigued.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

“Sera always talked about the stars on the peninsula...” Rachel said sadly as they drove, “I think… I think I know what we are doing here.”

So that’s why Chloe had wanted to talk to her dad. She had known something was weird when they’d gone into his office together. He had come out and looked over at her somberly, as Chloe had led her back upstairs. 

Rachel didn’t like thinking about her father. He was so broken and miserable. He seemed to be bitterly blaming himself for Sera’s death. She could sympathize, but neither of them seemed to be able to talk about it. When she had tried to stay at the house, they had walked around each other like ghosts. And every time he looked at her, he grew sad.

“You brought… Sera’s ashes with us, didn’t you?”

Chloe looked over at her solemnly, and nodded her head. 

More proof of what Sean had taken, that her mother could be reduced to dust, the fire no longer there to protect her.

They dropped their stuff off at a little hotel, and then went and got dinner. As they ate, Rachel thought about what she wanted to ask.

What if they could bring her back? 

She was afraid of letting herself hope. Terrified of the crushing disappointment that could befall her again. She kept her voice silent, but couldn’t stifle her thoughts. 

Even if Max had been able to change the past with the photo, would it have even affected this version of her? Or would it all be to some other Rachel’s benefit? They hadn't even been able to notice that Max had been fucking with time.

Ever since the girl had told her about the different realities she had traveled, she had gotten the feeling that they were all still out there, just a shadow away. It filled her with a marveling insignificance. She wondered briefly what they had all done for her birthday, or if she was even alive in them to celebrate.

Maybe she was supposed to die.

She shook her head, and started to think about their powers. Everything so far had sort of happened by accident, just random strange phenomenon. But what if they actually tapped into that connection. And used it. She was thinking about what Felix had said. Birth, life, and death. She wondered if he had known more than he'd let on. 

“The park closes at dusk, so we can just park on the road, and walk over,” Chloe was telling them, as she put her wallet away. 

Rachel looked up and noticed that the bill was already paid. Both the girls were getting ready to leave. She stood up and followed them out, trying to desperately extinguish the hope that was rising in her chest.

“I just want to stop at the store real quick, and then we can go,” Chloe said, as they headed back to the truck.

Rachel and Max stayed in the car as Chloe went in. The brunette looked over at her inquisitively as they waited.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked her softly.

She didn’t want to talk about Sera yet, so instead she spoke of the other thing caught up in her mind.

“Victoria. That dream Chloe had. We… we did tell her we were going to stop him.”

Max looked at her warily, “Yeah… but… what are we supposed to do? We don’t know where he is.”

“What if… what if they are all at the lake… the girls? Serial killers like to return to their victims. He could be there…”

The brunette gave her a fearful expression, “I… I don’t know, Rachel. He’s dangerous.”

“I know…” she said, sighing.

She knew most of all. Neither of them had faced him. Neither of them had seen him throw that blade, while standing helpless and unable to move. Or seen how he’d grown stronger as he had gotten more threatened, like an animal. 

How he had pulled the flames from her mother as she died. 

And how he’d laughed.

She closed her eyes trying to block out the memory.

“We need to find him.”

Max took her hand, trying to comfort her. She felt a wave of the girl’s fear. Not for herself but for Rachel and Chloe. Terrified that he would kill them. There was anger over what he had done, but she didn’t truly understand why Rachel needed to stop him.

“Max…” Rachel started to say, but didn’t know what words would truly explain it.

Instead, she let herself focus on the memory as she held the brunette’s hand. Sera’s death. His eyes. The hate. Her need for vengeance. She opened her eyes, and saw Max furrowing her brow, grimacing against it. The girl pulled away, looking angry.

“Okay. We’ll find him,” Max said with infuriated determination.

Chloe climbed back into the truck, carrying a bag. She looked at the two of them with their angry faces and asked, “What’s your problem? I just wanted to get some wine…”

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

After they parked the truck, Chloe began to lead them down the trail towards the beach. Max walked behind them, admiring how big the sky looked. A flock of birds flew through the sky, and the way they moved together reminded her of the butterflies. 

She felt a wave of contentment, and smiled at them both. Chloe laughed, and put her arm around her. She felt the girl’s happiness as well, and a gladness that she was there with them. She could have stayed that way forever. But the path narrowed, and they broke apart.

As they walked down the beach, Rachel started to tease Max about Felix.

“He totally liked you…”

Max felt herself blush shyly, “No way, you’re the one he kept dancing with.”

“Yeah, but you're the one he kept looking at.”

“Did you guys get a feeling from him, like… like you might have known him?” Max asked curiously.

Chloe shook her head and Rachel gave a small shrug. Max continued, trying to get their opinion before she gave hers. 

“He just… he seemed familiar or something. I don’t know how to describe it. And the way he travels… what kind of job would enable him to do that? And he got all weird when I asked about it.”

He had told her about all the countries he’d been to, listing off an inconceivable amount as she listened enviously, but he wouldn’t tell her how he managed it.

“Maybe he’s a drug dealer?” Chloe joked.

“I don’t know…” Max didn’t know how to describe it. But she felt like there was something about him that was like… well like them.

“I think he had powers.”

They both stopped to look at her.

“What? Really?”

“Yeah, the way he looked at me, when I came into the club last night. It was… it was like he knew.”

Max thought back to how he had smiled at her.

“And then... when he left... do you remember how he just sort of disappeared? We offered to share the taxi, and he was just like… gone? Don’t you think that’s weird?”

“Yes… but I don’t think it’s definitive proof. I mean… we barely met the guy,” Rachel answered, “And really… how many of us can there be?”

“Yeah,” Chloe agreed, joking as they walked, “It’s starting to get a little crowded.”

“Whatever… we will probably never see him again… but, I still think he had powers,” Max said defensively.

Chloe laughed, “Okay, Mad Max, we’ll let you believe that.”

The sun had already started to set as they reached a good spot. Chloe grabbed the blanket she had brought with them and laid it on the ground, putting her bag next to it. Rachel sat down, and grew quiet again, withdrawing into her thoughts.

Max looked at Chloe, raising her eyebrows, but the girl just shrugged. They went to the shoreline to skip stones across water that reflected the swirling colors of the sky. They laughed together and waited for the night to darken, joking about the various people scattered across the beach, creating little satirical conversations for them.

Chloe gestured to a couple standing by water. The man had his arm around the woman, and they were smiling up at the sky. 

She did her impression of a deep masculine voice and said, “If this doesn’t get me laid, nothing will.”

Max giggled and pointed to a group of women laughing, a guy was walking past them staring.

She put on his voice and said, “It’s weird to hear a woman laugh when they aren't sleeping with me.”

They smiled freely, teasing each other and enjoying the beach. When night fell, they joined Rachel on the blanket, and lay back together. The stars were breathtaking, and the sky crisp with impossible definition. Surrounding them with galaxies and clusters, it spread across their vision as they quietly stared up with wonder.

Slowly, Rachel began to tell them about the first night she and Sera had hung out together. 

“We went to the beach, on a night like this. And… I think she was nervous at first, but… then she started pointing out the constellations and it was like… I don’t know… I just felt like I was home. I could’ve listened to her talk about the stars all night long.”

Max could hear the sorrow in her voice, and wanted to take it away from her, but she just listened deferentially. Chloe shared some of her own stories, and the two girls memorialized their moments with Sera, their voices breaking with emotion.

As they watched the last straggler walk away, Rachel stood up with anticipation. She started pacing back and forth. Chloe went into her bag and brought out Sera’s ashes, setting them carefully down on the blanket. The blonde looked at them with sad eyes, shaking her head against their existence. 

A strange curiosity overtook Max. As she stared at the ashes she started to think about the bottle that Victoria had thrown across the Blackwell yard. And how she had mended it back together.

She stood up, and grabbed Rachel’s hand. As she held on tight, she felt the girl’s emotions, her restrained hope. Max nodded her head reassuringly at Rachel, resolute in her belief. She could fix her pain. The girl’s breath hitched as their eyes met.

“What are you doing Max?” Chloe asked, standing up to watch.

She didn’t answer. She just raised her left hand, feeling her time sense increased by Rachel’s power. She focused on the ashes, and saw how they could fit together. Gathering all her tenacity, she tried to force a convergence. 

They began to float through the air, piecing together. Circling in a gust of wind, and dancing around each other. But they wouldn’t stick. There was no glue to hold the dust together, nothing to form it back into. They fell back down, scattering across the blanket.

“Fuck,” Max swore, and then tried again.

Again they rose, traveling back, but she couldn’t get past a point, as hard as she tried. Her head ached, and her nose started to bleed, but they wouldn’t stay together. The ashes fluttered in a cyclone of wind, but that was all they would do.

She was about to try again, when Chloe pulled her hand away from Rachel. The ashes fell back to earth. She replaced the blonde’s hand with her own, putting herself between them. It seemed like she was trying to prepare herself, she looked over and squeezed Max’s hand. They gave each other a small smile, and then Chloe turned to face the ashes.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Chloe was trying to be fearless, but both girls had described what it had felt like to be in the middle, the draining fatigue, and she was scared. An instinctual awareness radiated through her, and she forced herself to be strong.

She had seen what Max was trying, and knew it wouldn’t work. There was an essential part that was missing that the two girls couldn’t bring back. It wasn’t physical. It was a part of Sera that wasn’t there with them. 

She held onto Max tightly, breathing in, imbibing the girl’s fortitude. 

The grating cerebral force that she internalized ran to the surface of her skin. It flowed through her mind, and drew from her heart. A deep calm filled her soul. Steadily, she reached out for Rachel.

When Chloe felt the girl’s fingers entwine around her own, she almost fell over. Max had her left hand up, and she felt a deep siphoning of her spirit. A burning energy flowed through her, running out from Rachel and into Max. The last thing she saw before her vision clouded over and the beach disappeared, was the determined look on the brunette’s face.

Then her world turned gray. 

She saw a strange gathering of particles appear before her. Tiny flecks of light fluttering in the breeze like snow. They started to congregate, and fuse together. 

She breathed in sharply, when she felt a warm, welcoming energy that she recognized. 

“Oh my god…” she heard Rachel cry next to her.

But Chloe couldn’t see.

All she saw was the gathering light. Pieces being pulled together, flying from all corners of her vision. The fabric of the space in front of her being knit together, forming something new. 

Rachel trembled, her voice cracking as she yelled out.

“You’re… you’re doing it!”

Chloe felt her legs grow weak, and she wavered on the spot.

“Hold on, Chloe, hold on…” Max muttered in a strained voice.

She bit her tongue, trying to remain conscious, as the darkness lulled her. The light was too bright, and she was too tired. She felt more exhausted then she had ever felt, like a lead coating was dripping off her skin.

She fell to her knees, and felt the two girls being pulled with her, but she held onto their hands. They were the only things she was aware of. The light had grown too intense, and her vision was filled with a bright, blinding white that she couldn’t escape. She tried to shut her eyes against it, but realized they were already closed.

Her head throbbed, and her limbs turned heavy. The pain traveled down her neck and built to a sharp sting in her chest. Just when she thought she couldn’t stand another second, Rachel cried out and her hand was pulled from her grip. Chloe felt a blessed relief as the draining sensation abated. 

As she started to fall, steady hands grabbed her shoulders, and gently lay her to the ground. Max was muttering softly, telling her everything was okay. 

She began to succumb to the relieving darkness, grateful for it’s presence. Before sleep stole her into its grasp, she heard Rachel’s desperate sobs echoing across the beach.

“Mom?”

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Sera felt the blade hit her chest, inflicting a sharp sudden pain. Her lungs filled with their final breath, and she collapsed to her knees. She heard Rachel cry out, and the sound of it broke through her pain, and pierced her heart.

Even as the man’s hands wrapped around her neck, she only felt fear for her daughter. Her baby would be alone with this monster, and there was nothing she could do. She was leaving her again.

The world began to fade. The forest slowly disappeared and a glow filled her vision, an all-consuming radiance that welcomed her into its grasp like an old friend. She felt it wrap around her being and pull her forward. 

Everything she knew fell away as her senses failed her. Blinding light flew across her eyes, swirling and coalescing, lifting her up. As it enveloped, she registered a calculating force.

Various versions of her life flashed before her eyes. Choices from her past darting and chewing through her mind. Some she recognized, but most were new to her. Consequences she had not suffered, decisions she had not made, and blessings she had never received. 

Leaping from the bridge, and falling through the sky. Dropping Rachel off at kindergarten. Walking away from the neighbor who had lived upstairs. Staring up at the stars with her family. Ripping up the check that Jimmy first sent. Overdosing in her apartment alone. Walking down the aisle in a beautiful white dress. Meeting Rachel by the lighthouse. Dying in thick woods as James desperately called out. Tucking their daughter in together, as he put his arm around her.

They flew through her vision rapidly, like pages ruffling in the wind. She tried to see them all, but there were too many. A multiplicity of actions resulting in a variety of outcomes. All the different directions her life could have taken. 

She felt like she was being pulled apart and reassembled. Analyzed and assimilated with all her possible selves. But there was glory in the amalgamating, a deep inner knowledge and understanding. A harmonic sound filled her ears, a bottomless reverberation that reconciled her soul, and she nestled into it. Tranquility overtook her mind and she was lulled by it’s presence. It settled her essence as it split it apart, reuniting the pieces back to their source.

Suddenly, something reached out and pulled her down, tearing her away from the peaceful luminosity. As she started to fall, a deep reluctance ran through her. 

No. She didn’t want to leave.

The marvelous glow above began to pulse and stutter. Her progress faltered as she tried to return to it, but some force yanked and pulled her back. She fought against it, struggling to escape its grasp, and make it back to the light.

Then she heard someone calling out to her. A girl’s voice she thought she recognized. 

“Mom?”

And she remembered the promise she had made. 

She stopped fighting, and let herself fall. Her senses returned. Her body restored. 

She staggered on the ground suddenly below her feet, and opened her eyes.

She was standing on the beach. She looked down, and saw she was wearing the clothes she had died in, they smelled like a bonfire, and there was a thick red stain on the chest. 

Damn, she had liked this shirt.

She laughed out loud as she felt the warm breeze on her cheeks, and her daughter’s arms around her. Looking up at the stars, she felt a strange pull, like they were calling her back to them. 

She remembered everything. 

Rachel was practically hyperventilating with joy, weeping into her. She put her arm around her and tore her eyes away from the stars.

Between them and the sea, she saw the girl she had met, Max, kneeling over an unconscious Chloe, passed out on the ground. The girl looked up at her with wide astonished eyes.

She hugged Rachel close, trying to soothe her, “I’m… I’m here.” 

Breath hitching with relieved laughter, her daughter started to calm down. As she wiped the tears from her eyes, she kept reaching out to her every few moments, to make sure she was really there. Sera took the girl’s hands reassuringly, as she stared at the sights around her.

“Are we… are we at Boundary Bay Park?” she asked with a smile, as she peeked up at the sky again.

Rachel nodded, causing fresh tears to fall down her cheeks. 

Flashes of memories ran through her head. Ones she had experienced, and ones she had only seen. Meeting in her mind, they argued with each other. Was it her father who had taken her here? Or her brother? Had she taken Jimmy? She could remember several different versions. 

The outline of her life grew at the edges, splitting off into multiple realities. 

It was overpowering.

“Pass me that wine,” she told her daughter.

Rachel looked at her uncertainly, “Are you sure?”

The girl was thinking about her sobriety, but Sera could remember various existences where she had never even touched an opiate. 

She chuckled, shaking her head, “Give me the fucking wine, Rachel.” 

She took a sip, and kneeled down next to Chloe.

“Is she okay?” she asked the girl crouching over her.

“Yes, she’ll be fine,” Max gesturing over to Rachel, “We’ve both done it before.”

She sat back, taking another drink, and looked at them with amused wonder.

“What do you mean?”

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

As Max talked, Rachel just stared at her mother. She sat down next to her in shock, and held her hand in both of hers. She was afraid to let her go. Continuously needing to confirm that she was still there, she stared down at their hands, observing their similarities. 

She kept waiting for her to disappear in a flash of purple flames, but Sera remained, listening patiently, as Max filled her in on what had happened.

Rachel interrupted, not even knowing what the girl had been saying.

“Do you remember dying…?” 

“I… yes,” Sera said, looking uncertain.

“What happened after?” she asked breathlessly.

“I… I don’t even know how to explain it. I… saw… everything and I…”

As her mother searched for the words, Chloe awoke, hastily sitting up, and then putting an arm out to stop herself from falling over. Max put a hand on her back to steady her. 

The girl’s eyes glistened as she saw Sera sitting in front of her. 

Sera spoke softly, giving her a tender smile, “Hi, Chloe.” 

She responded quietly, wiping her tears away, “Hi, Sera.” 

Chlow gave her a hug, and as she pulled away, her voice broke, “I’m… I’m so glad your back… I can’t believe this worked.” 

Rachel was still thinking about what Sera had said. She saw everything? What does that mean? She was about to interrupt again, but as she stared down at her mother’s hand, she wondered if she still had her powers. Something reached out in her, a questioning flame, barely a spark. But Sera pulled away wincing. She stared down at her hand, and then looked up at Rachel. They shared a knowing look.

“Oh my god… it’s gone…” Sera said, as she closed her eyes trying to summon her ability.

“Sean took it from you,” Rachel told her, “Stole it… and I tried to burn him, but...”

She closed her eyes and grew quiet, not wanting to think of the destruction she had caused. 

They all turned around as a voice broke through the silence.

“Well, we’ll just have to go get it back then.”

A woman Rachel had never met was walking up to them, but she recognized her eyes, captivating even in this light.

She held out a passport to Sera, “You’re gonna need this.”

Sera stood up, and took it from her, studying the woman carefully.

Pallas shrugged, “Sorry… I had to break into your house to get it.”

Sera laughed out loud, and pulled her into a hug. 

Tears leaked out as Pallas closed her eyes, and breathed out a sigh of relief. The woman shakily muttered to herself, as she wrapped her arms under Sera’s.

“I knew they could do it...”


	17. Chapter 17

James looked up from his computer, staring at his daughter, slightly exasperated.

“Rachel, I’m busy… ”

“Dad, just listen to me,” Rachel pleaded, with a strange smile on her face.

Why was she in such a good mood? 

James felt like he would never be happy again. If he hadn't gone after Sean… none of it would have happened. This thought had been caught in his head the last few weeks, randomly sneaking up and pulling him back down into a spiral of sorrow and regret, spanning back through the years.

He had left Rose and his home, and was secretly staying in his office, working all hours of the night, unable to shut off the guilt. 

He couldn’t pretend anymore. He just felt a hole where his heart was supposed to be.

“You have to come with me,” she said stubbornly, pulling him up from the desk.

He followed her dejectedly into the elevator, having trouble looking at her without hurting. Rachel kept glancing over at him, bouncing on her feet. She pressed the button, and they waited in silence until they reached the bottom.

“Where are we going?”

“We are going to grandpa’s lake house,” she said, pushing him out of the office and towards his car, “I’ll drive.”

What? 

The cabin had been in his family for generations. When his father had died, he had left it to him, but they still called it his. He felt a rush of trepidation. That was too close to the woods he had almost died in. Sadness filled him; Sean had taken that from him as well. He’d had so many good memories of that place, minus the time his dirt bike was stolen. But now the proximity chilled him.

He looked at her questioningly, “I… I can’t just leave. I don’t have-“

She gestured to the backseat, “You have all your stuff with you. I know you moved out... What have you been doing, sleeping in your car?”

Sleep? What was sleep? 

He hung his head, “Or… at the office… I’m sorry, I should have told you, but I didn’t want to ruin your birthday.”

He got into the passenger seat; he was too tired to argue. As she started the car, he studied her. 

“Why are we going to the cabin?”

She just shook her head, “You’ll see.”

What was going on with her? He needed to get back to work. He had been keeping the memories at bay by staying busy. Now though, sitting, staring, watching the telephone polls zip by, they were starting to play through his head again. 

When he had woken up next to the lighthouse, he had suddenly remembered everything. As he had taken shelter, frantically failing to get the ropes of his wrist, he had been bombarded with memories.

Almost dying in the woods. Hannah, the girl he had failed to save. That horrible room. Sean’s eyes as he told him about his son’s fate. All the missing pieces returned.

And then he had gotten a brutal onslaught of new ones to keep him awake at night.

Finding Sera and their daughter, in the middle of a burnt clearing, surrounded by destruction. Rachel using the knife that had killed her to cut the bindings off of him, so he could pick up an unconscious Max and carry her out of the woods. His daughter silently stumbling behind him in a state of shock, all of them covered in ash.

“Rachel…”

“Listen, we have a long drive,” she said confidently, “Why don’t you to tell me what’s happening with the case?”

“It’s…” 

He didn’t really want to talk about that either.

“It’s not going well. He has gone off the grid, and they didn’t find anything on his property. “

“So, he hasn’t been there? Are they still canvassing the area?”

He shook his head, “No, he was spotted in Idaho.”

“Really?” she asked, turning onto the highway.

Rachel looked like she was about to ask more, but Sean interrupted her. She didn’t need to know the details, or that another girl had gone missing. It was his job to protect her from them.

“How was Vancouver?”

She glanced over at him, seeming to know what he was doing. She just sighed and said, “It was good.”

He wanted to ask if they had spread Sera’s ashes at Boundary Bay, but the words got caught in his throat. He leaned against the door, feeling another wave of sleep deprivation hit him. He felt like he was in a fugue state. 

What were they doing again? Going to the cabin?

“Why-“ he started to ask.

She stopped him.

“Dad, why don’t you try to sleep? I’ll wake you up when we get there,” she said, smiling sweetly at him.

The movement of the car was starting to lull him; he straightened up, trying to stay awake. But her smile had comforted him, and his eyes started to grow heavy. 

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

“Pallas is pretty interesting, huh?” Max asked Chloe.

“Yeah, and that bike… “ Chloe said with a smile, “She’s almost as small as you… surprised she can handle that thing.”

“I’m not.”

Max had confidence in the woman right away. There was something reassuring about her, something that inspired faith. She wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but the second she had looked into her eyes, she had trusted her. 

Chloe chuckled, “Sera was funny about getting on the back of it with her…”

“Yeah,” Max smiled, thinking back to this morning.

Sera had seemed both excited and apprehensive; making jokes about the last time she had ridden it. Apparently the woman went really fast. Rachel had given her mother her phone, and made her promise to answer no matter what.

Pallas had told them they couldn’t bring Sera back to Arcadia Bay, that it would cause major trouble. She was supposed to be the victim in a murder investigation, after all. So Rachel had casually suggested the lake house. Both Max and Chloe had seen right through it, glancing over at her with raised eyebrows. But nobody had argued.

The blonde had been humming with excited energy the entire drive back, as she’d told them her plan. She hadn't wanted her father to feel like she had for one day longer. When they dropped her off at her James’s office, she had jumped out of the car smiling. She’d grabbed her bag, threw it over by her dad’s car, and then leaned in to kiss Chloe. She had barely hesitated, before turning to Max and kissing her as well. 

“Thank you, so much, I… I am so grateful for you both… I’ll see you tomorrow,” she had said happily, before leaving them both infected by her good mood.

Max had watched Chloe’s demeanor, trying to gauge her reaction to the kiss. They hadn't gotten a chance to talk about any of it since that night. But Chloe had just shaken her head with a smirk, and started driving towards Blackwell. 

Now that they were here in the school’s parking lot, Max didn’t want to go in. She didn’t feel like being alone again, surrounded my mementos from other lives. Chloe seemed to understand.

“Do you want me to come up with you?” 

She pointed around the parking lot and added, “David’s car isn’t here, so that means he’s at home. And I really don’t want to deal with his relentless questioning… especially since he’s had a couple of days to stew… ”

“Thanks,” Max nodded gratefully, and then asked, “What have you been telling him?”

“Nothing. Just that he’s crazy, and I don’t know what he’s talking about,“ Chloe said with amusement, before her smile turned grim, “But, I don’t think it’s gonna work for much longer.”

As they got out of the truck, and headed for the dorm, Max wondered if Chloe had thought of it yet. The implication of being able to raise the dead. Wouldn’t it have been the first thing she thought about? She wasn’t going to bring it up, though. Sera had been one thing, but William had been dead for five years… that would be something else entirely.

Crossing the lawn, the totem called her eyes again. Chloe followed her gaze.

“Why are you so obsessed with that thing? “ she teased.

Max wasn’t exactly sure why. She was curious about the history of it, and that it had been here for so long, way before the school or the town.

“Remember what Felix said, about things being scattered throughout history? Left behind?”

Chloe nodded.

“I don’t know. There is something about that totem, it… and maybe it’s all ancient things. I just…” she paused, voicing what she had been thinking since she’d talked to him, “If I actually do become a photographer, that’s what I want to shoot. People are fun too, because there’s such a spectrum of emotion available. But… to be able to travel the world, and capture these relics of time…”

She unlocked the door, and Chloe opened it for her. As they made their way upstairs, she wondered if the girl had understood. 

Glancing at Victoria’s room, she asked, “Do you think we’ll be able to do it? Bring her back as well?”

“That’s what Rachel thinks,” Chloe said, and then started looking worried, “But it makes me nervous that we are separating, even if it is for a day. What if Sean is there?”

“Pallas said he wouldn’t come back yet,” she responded confidently.

Chloe looked at her curiously, “Why do you trust her so much?” 

Max just shrugged as they entered her room, “Don’t you?”

The girl just gave her a small smile, raising her shoulders, and then went over to the stereo and turned it on. Max started to clean up the room as the music played. Chloe helped her for a bit, and then got distracted by the wall.

Max shook her head as she put her clothes away, and packed new ones.

“Man, I was like a crazy person... look at all this shit,” she said, gesturing around the room.

She was usually pretty neat. The mess was a good indication of how out of it she had been. She was still glad she’d done it, since she’d learned a lot, and it had made her stronger… but it made her nervous that she could get so easily swept up, and lost in time. She started to tell Chloe what she was thinking and then realized the girl wasn’t listening. Max went over to the wall to see which entry she was staring at, and smirked slightly when she did. The girl glanced over when she noticed she was next to her.

“How did you bring these with you?” she asked curiously.

“I’m… I’m not really sure. They weren’t with me in the past, but… I had them again when I came back… I didn’t really think about it when I first did it. I just wanted them. And… they came with me.”

She paused, thinking about what they had learned, and added, “But now… that’s what makes me think those realities must still be out there, otherwise, how would these exist?”

Chloe pointed to the entry from when they were together.

“I… I had a dream about this one. But… it didn’t seem like a dream. It was… I don’t know… like a memory. I think you are right,” she said, gazing at the pages. “And after what Sera said… “

When the woman had explained all that she’d remembered, no one had said anything. They all sat dumbfounded, lost in their own thoughts. Pallas had been leaning against the wall, apart, looking uncertain about whether she should be there or not. But she’d been the first to speak up, asking her one and only question.

“Did you have to choose to come back?”

Sera had nodded her head, gazing over at Rachel with a sad smile.

Chloe called her attention back, pointing to the post it that mentioned her father. 

“Do… do you think he would come back?” she asked, almost in a whisper.

So she had thought about it. 

Max put her hand in hers, feeling a strong mixture of emotions from the girl.

“Yes. I… I think so,” she answered her quietly, trying to be optimistic.

Chloe glanced down at their hands, and then back into Max’s eyes. She broke apart from her, stepping back. The girl ran her hands through her blue hair with a chuckle, shaking her head.

“This is all so fucking weird…” she said, sitting down on the bed.

Max laughed, and kept cleaning up, “That is a definite understatement.”

Chloe grinned at her, “Exceptionally mysterious.”

“Radically bizarre,” Max chuckled back.

“Massively inexplicable.”

“Surpassingly strange.”

They giggled together as Chloe lay back on the bed, and stared up at the ceiling. Max grabbed a bag, and started throwing away the random bits of paper and scraps of strings scattered around the room. The song changed to one they both liked, and they sang along together. 

She had almost finished cleaning, when she idly asked, “So what was your dream about?”

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Chloe laughed out, covering her face with her arm. It had just been playing behind her eyes. Should she tell her? Max noticed her reluctance, and came over to tease her.

“Come on… tell me,” she giggled, poking her legs so she could sit down next to her.

She curled them up, and sat against the wall. 

“It… it was…” she started and then smiled hesitantly. 

The brunette tilted her head and asked, “It was from the timeline when we were together?”

Chloe nodded, “It was umm… us… losing our virginities… to each other,” she said, and then quickly added, “But… I couldn’t control anything. It was like a movie playing in first person.”

Max raised her eyebrows in surprise, and laughed, “You watched a movie of our first time having sex?”

Chloe grinned sheepishly, “No… well… it didn’t get that far. You guys busted out of the bathroom and woke me up.”

The brunette looked apprehensively over at her, and she knew what she was about to ask.

“Don’t worry, Rachel told me. And… I don’t know how to feel about it. I meant what I said that night… but it’s easier said than done,” she said and then grew quiet.

Max nodded in agreement, and then asked reservedly, “Do... do you think that’s why you had that dream?”

She hadn't thought about that, “Hmm… not sure, you think?”

“I don’t know what to think,” she answered, “About any of this…”

Max leaned back against the wall, and they sat together listening to music, thinking about each other. Chloe wanted to know something, but she wasn’t sure if she should just ask. She reached over and took the girl’s hand, trying to see if she could figure it out nonverbally. But when she touched her skin, she felt clouded emotion, not available to her.

“What do you want to know?” Max asked her with a smirk.

“You are getting way too good at this stuff,” Chloe said with a laugh, gesturing to their hands. 

“Yeah, well, I’m a quick learner,” Max said, playing with the ring on her finger. “Can you shut it off too?”

She thought she probably could, but instead she focused on her emotions from that dream, and sent it out to the girl. Max closed her eyes, cheeks turning red, and slowly breathed out. When she opened them again, Chloe studied her, awaiting her reaction.

They just looked at each other, absently reading the feelings flowing between them. Chloe could sense the girl’s nerves, and waited genially for her to overcome them. She wasn’t going to make the first move, but she could feel Max working up to it. The girl leaned over slowly, and they both felt a thrill of each other’s anticipation. Chloe stayed still as Max’s lips softly pressed against hers. 

The brunette broke away, looking at her questioningly. Chloe smiled at her expression. Her face was so cute, and her cat-like eyes were staring at her alluringly, and this was Max… so she pulled her closer, kissing her again.

Chloe felt a wave of déjà vu as she fell back and Max climbed on top of her. Her hands settled on the brunette’s hips, just like in the dream. She wondered if she was going to start tracing her tattoo as well. Instead, Max leaned down and kissed her again, gently at first, and then growing more self-assured. Chloe settled into it, letting the girl take the lead, matching her tongue.

She gently ran her fingers under her shirt, up her sides, and across her back. Max stopped, leaned back and took it off, tossing it onto the futon. And then she pulled Chloe up, and slowly stripped hers off as well. They sank against each other again, and she relished in the girl’s soft skin, touching as much of her as she could.

She grabbed her hips, pulling Max against her and the girl sighed into her mouth. Chloe felt her trying to take off her bra, and leaned up to help, still kissing her. 

Sitting up, with the girl in her lap, she trailed her lips down her neck to her chest. Max leaned her head back, and made the sweetest sound, driving a wave of lust through her.

She picked up the brunette and turned around, tossing her on her back. She laughed as she landed and Chloe promptly lay down next to her, tracing her fingers across her stomach, and up her ribs. She looked down at Max, full-hearted, appreciating her beauty. The girl put her hand up tenderly onto Chloe’s cheek, and she knew the answer to her question.

“You’ve never done this before…” she said, slowly running her finger across the girl’s collarbone.

Max smiled at her, “Is it that obvious?”

“Not at all…”

She kissed her shoulder, and then her neck, reading the emotions the different spots inspired. She leaned back again, looking into eyes clouded with desire, and smirked. 

“I’m glad it’s me though.”

The girl smiled briefly before Chloe’s lips fell on hers again. She felt Max playing with her hair, and just as she wished that the brunette would pull it, she did. Running her hand up her thigh, and then gently across her waist, she unbuttoned her shorts. She kneeled back and gazed into her eyes, silently requesting. She felt a pulse of desire from the girl and slowly teased them off her, leaving her naked and vulnerable. Chloe looked down, heat crawling across her. She wanted to treat her like a queen, to worship every freckle.

Gradually, kissing her way up her leg, she grazed her teeth across her hip and smiled at the girl’s movements, squirming beneath her. She slowly worked her way up, trailing lips across her skin. Lying down next to her, their mouths met again. She felt the girl’s hands exploring her body, and sighed out in surprise when one of them undid her fly and slipped inside her jeans, rubbing against her.

“Take these off.” 

Chloe hurried to comply, liking the ferocity in the girl’s eyes. She kicked them off, but they got caught up on her ankles. Max chuckled and kneeled up to help her out of them. When she pulled them off, she casually threw them over her shoulder. 

Chloe laughed and pulled the girl on top of her again, enjoying the feel of her skin against hers and how the brunette started to kiss her more forcefully while running her hands over her body. She could sense the confidence the girl was feeling, and smiled against her. The brunette’s fingers found her again, and she gasped out. Chloe reached out and put hers in the same spot, matching her pace, and breaking the kiss so she could look at her face. 

The girl closed her eyes, and bit her bottom lip as she started moving faster. As they continued, Max rolled off, growing weaker, and so Chloe went with her, keeping her hand where she wanted it, studying the girl’s various reactions. She trailed kisses up her throat, and along her jaw line, gently biting on her earlobe, like she could feel Max wanting her to. 

As she returned to her lips, she could sense the brunette getting closer, and briefly considered how she wouldn’t have to worry about the flames like with Rachel. It made her hesitate slightly. Then Max started to moan her name, and she kissed her again, trying to shut off the comparisons.

She could feel the pleasure rising in the girl, and it was pulling her own with it. Chloe slowed down her pace, and smiled at Max's frown, amused by her keenness. She trailed kisses down her chest, tickling her sensitive skin with her hair, and then slipped her fingers easily inside of her. As she took her into her mouth, tongue moving briskly, Max whimpered out a string of swear words.

Chloe tried not to think about the difference between the two girls, but as Max began to shudder against her, she couldn’t help it. Rachel would be trying to bite back the words, caught up in the control of the pleasure, but the brunette was getting louder as her tongue moved faster. She could feel Max’s hands running through her hair, clenching, but it was gentle. Rachel would be pulling so hard by now it would hurt. She felt the same triumph, though, as Max cried out. A prevailing smirk crossed her face as she skillfully kept her mouth on her, riding out her climax. 

An ephemeral flash of scenes crossed her vision, and she briefly saw an array of memories. Apparitions from the other timelines when they’d first done this. As she kissed her thigh, and Max pulled her closer, she thought, maybe this was meant to be.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

A strange rush of desire hit Rachel. She hissed in a breath, swerving in the lane. As she fervently shut down the connection that had abruptly opened, she cleared her throat, and awkwardly glanced over to make sure her dad hadn't woken up 

What the hell? What were they doing? She glanced over at the clock with a smirk. She had only left them like an hour ago. 

She couldn’t believe it had already been an hour. All this driving was hypnotizing her. She was starting to imagine she was stuck inside a dream that she might abruptly wake up from. None of this could be real.

What if she got to the cabin and no one was there? 

No. It had happened. Her eyes glanced over to her dad as he shifted restlessly and then settled again. She felt a wave of excitement; this was going to be great.

The real question was, could they trust Pallas? 

Sera seemed to, and Max had acted like she was a superhero or something, but Rachel wasn’t so sure. The woman had followed them all the way to Canada, and had somehow known that they were going to bring her mother back from the dead. If that wasn’t suspicious, she didn’t know what was.

Rachel switched lanes, passing a car that was going too slow. Who goes five under, like that? Ah, it was an old man. She gave him a small smile as she went by.

She probably should have warned her mom who she was bringing. But she didn’t want her to say no. Maybe she should text her, but that would mean using her father’s phone. She had given hers to Sera. 

Oh well, she thought with a carefree smile.

Maybe she was being delusional, but a girl could hope. Right?

Besides, she couldn’t let her father suffer any more. Not now that she knew what that guilt felt like… he didn’t deserve that. Despite all his fuck ups, he did care about her, and he tried to do his best. She understood what making a horrible, fatal mistake felt like now.

Her father was going to flip out.

For a brief moment she felt a little sad for Rose, but then it drifted away. Maybe it was just the wish of every child to see their parents together, something biological, deep down, that she couldn’t control.

She wondered if Chloe had thought about bringing back her dad. 

This was all so fucked up.

They were all going to have to leave Arcadia Bay. Move away to somewhere new. 

Finally. 

She should probably tell Chloe that she’d gotten into Columbia. 

The letter had come a couple weeks ago, and she didn’t really know what to do with it. So much had been happening, and after the fire, she had dismally given up on caring about college.

New York would be so amazing, but god… that would be so much fucking work... 

A part of her craved it, throwing herself into it, but what about Chloe and Max? Would they come with her?

Or they could go to LA like they always planned. She could take a year off, try out the whole model/acting thing? 

But… she had gotten into fucking Columbia! It was actually hitting her now that the veil of grief had been lifted. She hadn't even thought that was a possibility. She was just following through, checking off the steps like her dad had taught her.

She glanced over at her father, sleeping fitfully in the passenger seat. She knew what he would say. 

A delightful awareness hit her again. She could ask Sera. It was like the opposite of before, when she’d continually been struck with sharp stabs of grief and regret. Now she had to remind herself, with a wave of happiness, her mother was alive. 

She let out a shaky breath, and passed another car. 

She wished she could go faster.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Sera paced the cabin, unsure of what to do with herself. She went out to the balcony, thinking back to the last time she had actually been here. It had been long ago, a summer of love from her youth. 

Then she started to scan through all of the false memories this place produced. 

The family vacations. Teaching her daughter how to swim. Drinking wine with her husband as they watched Rachel laughing down by the water with a group of faceless friends. She had to remind herself that those weren’t real. Or at least they weren’t hers.

Fuck. It was overwhelming. Like she had absorbed someone else’s life. 

She sat down in one of chairs, and lit a cigarette, staring out at the lake. A small part of her was disgusted that she was smoking. She shook her head and sighed, trying to solidify who she was.

When she peered back into those other memories, she had never had another child. There had only been Rachel. She didn’t understand with all the other varieties, why there wouldn’t have been another, but it didn’t seem to work like that. And when she tried to go forward… she had been sure she had seen scenes of the future, but when she tried to think of them they just disintegrated from her mind. She couldn’t hold onto them.

She wished Pallas had stayed. She needed the distraction. She wanted to talk to her about something. A small part of Sera didn’t want her power back… was relieved that it was gone. She knew she couldn’t say this to her daughter, but Pallas would understand… she didn’t get a chance to, though. After Pallas had gotten the door open, finding the hidden key way too easily, she had taken off, barely saying goodbye. The woman had seemed on edge. All she had told her was that being here was dredging up all sorts of stuff, and she needed to think. So the woman had driven off, and Sera wasn’t really sure if she was coming back.

Strangely enough, her memories of Pallas weren’t split. There wasn't the mind-boggling alterations with her, like there was with Rachel and even Chloe. She couldn’t imagine how bad it would be with Jimmy. 

She wondered how he was doing. Or if he even cared. Maybe he was happy that she was finally staying away…

She went back inside, and lay down on the couch. Staring around at all the natural wood, she started to relax. The sun was starting to set through the full pane windows, and the golden glow settled on her face. She closed her eyes and started to drift.

When she woke up, it was dark. She sat up when she heard a car door. Yawning, she stretched and slowly stood, turning around when the front door creaked open. Rachel flipped the switch on and quickly looked around for her. Her eyes fell on Sera’s and she gave her a guilty smirk.

“Okay. Don’t be mad.”

“What? Why would I be mad?” Sera heard another car door, but figured it was just Chloe and Max.

Rachel sighed, putting her back to the door, and said, “I’m… I’m parent trapping you.”

“What?”

“Like the movie.”

Wait. 

“Does that mean your father is here?”

Rachel nodded. Sera breathed out a chuckle, shaking her head. 

She should have figured. She never should have told the girl that she remembered marrying him. But she was trying to get them to understand what she had learned, the variety of paths that lives can go down, and the magical diversity of choice and consequence. 

But he had left her in this life. And she had chosen heroin.

A part of her was suddenly nervous, but the other was comfortably excited. Her feelings split between two realities. She didn’t have time to prepare herself, though, because there were footsteps coming up the stairs.

Rachel seemed worried, but she just smiled at her and the girl relaxed. Her daughter went outside, realizing she needed to prepare her father a little bit.

Sera briefly glanced in the mirror, wiping her eyes, and running a hand through her hair. But she looked good. Guess coming back from the dead has its benefits…

She heard Rachel talking to Jimmy outside, and couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

“Okay, so I have a surprise for you… it’s not a normal surprise…” the girl added uncertainly.

“What? What are you talking about, Rachel? Why are we here?” he said, sounding tired.

“Okay, so you know how Max stopped the fire…” Rachel started.

Sera wondered how long it had been since he’d slept. In her other pasts, he could get very caught up with work, especially when he was trying to avoid shit. She remembered when his father had died, she had to force him to sleep.

That never happened, she thought, trying to clear her head.

She should probably just go out there. Or should she wait for him to come in? She started walking to the door, and then stopped.

No, fuck, remember what he did. Don’t be happy, this life was different.

And then the door opened. His back was turned as he came in, still listening to what his daughter was trying to say. He had a suitcase in his hand. It banged against the wooden pane as he walked inside, and into the living room.

He looked up, and froze, dropping the bag onto the floor, shocked.

“Oh…. oh my god…” he whispered out, his eyes filling with tears.

She went to him, but stopped short, a few feet away, unsure. He looked like a lost little boy, and she stifled the urge to comfort him. Instead, she just spoke softly, gazing up at him.

“Jimmy… James, I mean… sorry…”

He stopped her, nodding, tears spilling from his eyes. 

“You can call me Jimmy...”

And then he wrapped his arms around her, picking her up, a sob escaping from his mouth. It turned into a joyous laugh, and he spun her around. He put her back down, studying her, hands on her face.

“Sera? You're… alive?” he exclaimed, touching her shoulders and arms, every inch of her, making sure she was really there.

She just laughed, and nodded her head, glad to see his happiness. His hands were back on her face, and he kissed her forehead, and then hugged her close, breathing in her hair. He started to cry, and she felt him growing weak. He slowly fell to his knees, arms still around her.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” he cried into her stomach, hugging her close.

She glanced over and saw Rachel by the door, teary eyed. A part of Sera was at a loss, Jimmy was still losing it on the floor in front of her. Her daughter was gesturing at her, and silently mouthing something.

“What?” Sera whispered, tilting her head, and trying to decipher.

“Kiss him,” her daughter mouthed back.

She shook her head with an exasperated laugh. Rachel chuckled and held her hands out like ‘look at him’. Sera waved out her hand, telling her to get out of here, still smiling.

She pulled him away, and knelt down in front of him when she heard the door close.

“Jimmy… it’s okay, I’m here,” she said softly as he stared at her with shiny eyes. 

She swallowed her past anger, letting it drift away, and added, “I forgive you, okay?”

He just looked at her, a mixture of emotions on his face. He wiped his eyes, and breathed in shakily. Glancing back over at her, he smiled, and ran his hand through her hair. Resting it gently on the back of her neck, he brought her closer. She went to him, mind muddled by memories of all the times before. 

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Rachel was pretty sure they were kissing, and could have jumped for joy. This was like a dream come true. She laughed, and started heading down the wooden stairs, to reach the dock. She kicked off her sandals, and put her feet in the water. This was probably the happiest she had ever been, and she tried to hold onto that emotion. It felt like it was fueling her. 

Looking down at her hands, she snapped her fingers and saw a curl of orange flame skip across the lake in front of her. Glancing around quickly to make sure no one was out on the water, she raised her hand, focusing on her emotions.

She hadn't been able to summon the flames on her own, not with any real control, but now… she focused in on that happiness, that utter joy. She thought about what Max had said about the butterflies, and formed a small one. It beat its wings, slowly fluttering in front of her.

She split it apart, adding more life to the blaze, and then there were two. She watched them dance around each other, reflecting off the dark water.

She heard her parents calling out for her, and she shouted up to them.

“I’m down here.”

They came down the stairs. She felt them both sit down on either side of her. Her dad was watching the butterflies in awe.

“I’ve… I’ve never seen you do this…”

Her mom tucked Rachel’s hair behind her ear, and said proudly, “Pretty amazing, huh?”

Her dad nodded his head in wonder, watching the flames. 

Rachel felt a deep calm, an overpowering comfort, as her father put her hand on her back and met her mother’s. She breathed out with a smile, and glanced up at the night sky, barely even having to concentrate. 

A flock of butterflies filled the night, flying over the water, as they all watched together, marveling at their beauty.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Yeah, there was no way she was going to interrupt that little scene. It looked like the end to a fucking Disney movie. 

Pallas could see them from across the lake. She glanced around trying to determine if anyone else could see them too, but with the angle, she was on the only property that would be able to. 

She turned away from the lake to look at the house behind her. This was too much to be a coincidence. Had James been here that night, right across the lake from where Beverly was killed? 

The house looked spooky, the dark a-frame leaning out, ominously. The windows were like eyes, staring down, judging her for the years since they’d last seen her. She lowered her head, and started walking up.

They'd only been Rachel’s age when they'd come here, she thought with a shiver.

She reached the front deck, frowning over at the wooden chair. She kicked the door in it’s weak spot and it busted open, flapping like a gaping mouth. 

She could break this whole place, if she wanted to. Jefferson would never be back. She had already checked that box off the list.

That fact made it a lot easier to go inside. 

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

JULY 30, 1992

 

“I don’t get it, why the hell do you want to see him?” Pallas asked, before the girl had even finished her sentence.

Beverly shook her head, sighing as she sat down, “I know you don’t understand...”

Pallas uncrossed her arms, and went to the door, instinctively wanting to leave. The blonde stood up to stop her, putting her hand on the door to prevent her from opening it.

“Just listen to me.”

“No.”

“I can’t… I can’t just cut him out of my life.”

“Why not?”

“Because, I… I don’t work that way,” she answered defensively. “You might be able to… and I also-”

“You think I had a fucking choice?” she interrupted her, not liking what she inferring.

“I have no idea,” Beverly shot back at her, before growing softer, “Pallas… you never talk about it… about your family, about Rome…”

“Fine, what the hell do you want to know?”

Beverly studied her, searching her eyes, and then took her hand. 

“Will you come sit down?”

She could feel Beverly's worry and subtle inquisitiveness. As she held her hand, Pallas wondered what terrible pain she was sending out to the girl as she thought about her childhood. But the blonde didn’t shrink away from it, instead she looked at her with a steadfast expression. And so she went with her, unable to say no to her beautiful amber eyes.

Maybe it would be better if she talked about it. She had been keeping it in for so long. Beverly pulled her down onto the couch next to her.

“All I know is that you never met your mother…”

Pallas resignedly gave in, and turned to face her. 

“They never told me anything about her. I’ve never even seen a picture. Whenever I brought it up… it was always ‘stai zitto’…”

She could see the girl momentarily translating, and felt a small rush of pride. 

Beverly looked at her empathetically, “So, you don’t know anything about her?” 

Pallas could tell she was thinking of her own mother. She had died when Beverly was young, but at least she had memories of her.

“She… she gave me my name… that’s all I know…” Pallas answered despondently, old wounds opening up. 

She started to talk, reservedly at first, but then it started to pour out of her. Beverly listened patiently, not interrupting, her eyes growing sadder and sadder. 

She told her about her father, treating her like a stranger that was forced upon him. And her Nonna, who acted like she was a mysterious burden that would one day bear fruit. 

“I grew up poor, and alone, and… I raised myself really… I read, books upon books, I taught myself English, and French. And spent most of my time at the library, getting lost in the stories… I hated going home… I hated their neglect and indifference, so I would stay out for days… but…" she paused, "I learned a lot of harsh lessons early on…”

Like not to trust certain men, especially the ones who seemed too eager to help. She quietly told Beverly what had happened when she was thirteen. She had only ever spoken of it once, to her Nonna, and only because she had demanded to know why she had a black eye and bruises. 

“She said it was my fault… that I should have known better…”

“You know it wasn’t-“

“Of course I do, but… everything was always my fault. They didn’t have enough money, or enough food, or enough room… I was like this hole to them, sucking up their futures.”

“Jesus… you were just a kid.”

“A kid that neither of them wanted. My father especially, he… used to just call me bambino dimenticato… forgotten child… ” She swallowed, and admitted something she swore she never would, “I… I was happy when he died.”

“But… Nonna… she was a mess… she cornered me, demanding to know how I had known. And… I told her,” Pallas said with regret.

“It… it was like she had been expecting it. Her eyes grew large, thinking about how she could profit off of it,” she said shaking her head, “She wasn’t like the Italian grandmothers you see in the films… She was a callous, unforgiving woman, hardened by the world she grew up in… her husband had died when she was young, leaving her with a son to raise, and no money… 

Pallas sighed resignedly, “She should have just let me starve, or dropped me in the river… I never understood why she didn’t…”

“Don’t say that…” Beverly said sadly, tucking her hair behind her ear, and kissing her cheek, “Then you wouldn’t be here with me…”

She gave the girl a small smile, and continued.

“I… tried at first… to do what she wanted. Suddenly, she was treating me with affection, and I got lost in it. But… it was all an act. And… I knew that all along, but I had never had that… ” 

She hesitated, unable to explain that even though she had known it was false, it was still a form of love she had never received.

“I had been planning to leave since I was a kid, always going farther and farther away, until I got too cold, or too hungry, or… something would happen that would scare me back to the only shelter I had ever known… I should have left sooner, and would have, but after he died, I waited…”

She quietly told her about the day she had come home to a room full of men, bidding for her hand in marriage.

“Who wouldn’t want a magical wife, that could tell the future for them?” Pallas said contemptuously.

“The man who outbid the rest… Mattia…he was obscenely rich, and exceedingly cruel. I… I saw what my life would be like with him… and… I begged her, but she… she didn’t care. That was the last time I saw her… when they dragged me out of that house. She… she wouldn’t even look at me…”

“Oh, Pallas…” Beverly said, with tears in her eyes.

“So… technically, I was married...” she said, taking a deep shaky breath, “I’m sorry I never told you…” 

“Was?” Beverly asked in a hushed, careful tone, like she was afraid to say anything more less Pallas stop talking. So she didn’t.

“I spent a month at his house… and… I couldn’t take any more than that,” she said, trying to shut off the memories that were playing behind her eyes. Beverly didn’t need to know how bad it had gotten. 

“He took me to the World Cup… and during the game, I snuck away, and lost him in the crowd…” 

He had sent men looking for her; she had seen their stark postures and scanning eyes. But there'd been so many people, and she knew the city too well. And her gift had grown stronger. So she'd escaped. Something she got very good at doing.

“A Canadian couple helped me,” she said with a small smile, remembering their kind concern. “I took a train up the coast, and then across the Alps. Then I was in Lyon, far away from everything I had ever known…”

“I… I loved France, it… it was beautiful and I was free…” she said, remembering those brief moments of sovereignty fondly.

“I met a cute boy… mon ours…” she said with a shy laugh, wiping her tears, “His name was Arthur as well. It’s part of why I trusted your grandfather when I first met him…”

Pallas breathed in, wincing against the memories, “But he was doomed when he met me… I was already being followed.”

“Mattia cornered us and… they killed him right in front of me… and there was nothing I could do… it… it was part of my punishment, to watch him die… but the gunshot, and my screams… people came out, and while they were distracted, I ran… I had gotten a lot better at reading the signs by then. I knew I had to get out of Europe, and that I had to do it carefully. And I did… I…” 

She didn’t want to admit to the girl what she had to do; it had almost been too easy to steal from people, so she just said circumspectly, “I… used my power to get money…” 

“I made it to New York…” she said, and then stopped.

How could she tell her what had happened next? Would she think she was a monster? 

“There’s a reason I don’t talk about this stuff, B,” she sighed, hanging her head.

“Pallas, I am not judging you,” she said, taking her hand to prove it, “Can’t you feel that?”

She could. So she took a deep breath and told her what had happened. How Mattia had found her again, like she knew he would. And how she’d seen how everything could play out, reading the scene like it was preordained.

“I saw him before he saw me, meno male. If I hadn't… I don’t think I’d be here. He was… a scary, indomitable man…” 

Kind of like what Sean is becoming, she didn’t add.

“I got him to follow me. I was staying in South Bronx, near Bedford Park, and well… there was this group of guys who I knew would give Mattia trouble. He just oozed wealth…”

“They beat the shit out of him…” she said with an involuntary smile, remembering the triumph she had felt. 

“But then… after they left him… he slowly started to get up… and I knew I couldn’t let him…” 

She didn’t want to relive that. How he’d smiled up at her with bloody teeth. How his eyes had glared with a possessive glee. The way he had spat at her, calling her puttana, when she had kicked him as hard as she could, tears of furious frustration spilling from her eyes. And how she had taken out her knife-

“So you killed him?” Beverly asked, and Pallas was called back.

She nodded slowly.

“Good,” the girl said decisively. 

The blonde wrapped her arms around her, holding her close. Pallas felt reluctant tears falling from her face, and inpatiently wiped them away. She hated crying. But Beverly was so soft, and she could feel the calm reassurance radiating off of her, and she just let go. She just let herself feel it, crying softly into her shoulder. 

After a bit, Beverly asked her undecidedly, “Do… do you want me to make you forget?”

She pulled away with curiosity. She had never even considered that. Slowly, Pallas shook her head.

“No… it’s made me who I am… I…” she trailed off, and then opened her mouth to clarify.

Beverly put her hand to her face, and then twirled a strand of her dark hair, quieting her.

“You don’t have to explain, it was stupid to ask…” the girl said, kissing her cheek, and looking at her admirably, “…forged in the fire.”

Pallas kissed her softly, and then pulled away.

“Why… why do you want to see him? Really?”

Beverly looked at her thoughtfully, “I… I always kept him in check…” she paused, “He… he is going to hurt someone… and…”

“So, you're going to follow him around for the rest of his life, telling him to calm down?”

“No,” Beverly said, sighing. 

“What’s your plan then?”

“There’s… there’s other things I could say…” Beverly said, determined, “If you were to help me…”

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

JULY 31, 1992

 

As they walked in, glancing around, both of them knew right away that they couldn’t do it here. The cafe was too public, and Sean had brought Mark with him. So they had no choice but to just sit down with them.

Sean kept looking at her, and she wondered if he knew. It was like he was trying extra hard to be nice to her. His eyes weren’t filled with their usual malice. It threw her off. The whole night she studied him carefully, trying to get a read on him. He was being surprisingly tolerable, even mildly pleasant. This is not what she’d expected. 

Was he playing them, like they were playing him?

The blonde kept gripping her hand under the table, and Pallas could feel the girl’s uneasiness arguing with her strength of will, all of it clouded over with a proverbial worry over Sean. Something that she had lived with and gotten used to over years.

Pallas wondered if a part of her was glad to see him.

As she held the girl’s hand, the world opened up to her. The trails growing out from people, the small tells that they try to hide, clearly visible. Pallas studied the guys in front of her, as Mark rambled on about photography. She was trying to calculate their agenda, checking for cracks. They were acting like basic guys though. Mark even teased Sean about this girl Caroline he had gone out with, as if he was trying to do him a favor by bringing her up in front of Beverly. But the only pulse of emotion Pallas felt from her was concern for the girl. 

She tried to analyze the guy’s friendship as they talked. Sean seemed to be riding the coat tails of Mark, a too smart kid with too much money and not enough love from his parents. But there was something Sean could offer Mark, and she wasn’t sure what it was. But Beverly suddenly let go and stood up, saying she was going to the bathroom, gesturing for Pallas to follow her. When they got far enough away, the blonde turned to her.

“We can’t do it here. There are too many people, and…”

“I get it. You need somewhere quiet.”

“Yeah… I want to at least try... but it will take time, and Mark can’t be there.”

“Right…”

“Sean’s in his ‘try to be a suave gentleman’ phase. That’s why he’s being so nice to you.”

“So, it’s an act?”

Beverly sighed, and crossed her arms. 

“I don’t know anymore…” she answered uncertainly, tilting her head, “I used to think it was just one of his many layers.”

The blonde was quiet for a second, remembering, “He… he did have good ones, I know he did… but, I don’t know if he still does… that’s why I want to do it.”

“So you think you could just leave him with the good layers, and peel away the bad?” Pallas asked, trying not to sound doubtful. 

“I’m going to try,” Beverly said, “His dad was an real asshole… and… with your help, I think I could… I don’t know...”

Pallas touched her skin, studying her, reading the hope, the need to make things right, to protect others, and the love she still had for him buried under the recent years of hate. A hate that the girl despised with all her heart. Pallas had gotten used to living with it, but Beverly just couldn’t.

“Okay… I mean… if… if you want to.”

At the end of the evening, they accepted Mark's invitation to the lake house for the weekend. Pallas didn’t really like the idea, but Beverly was determined. And what better place to try to erase Sean’s mind, than in the middle of the woods?

After conferring through the night, figuring out what to do about Mark, they woke up the next day, ready and unwavering, confident in the plan. 

They got in the car and left the city, driving south. Even though they were about to do something potentially dangerous, they were still having a blast together. They always did. They’d made a mix tape, and it was playing loudly out of the speakers of Arthur’s car. Mark had given them directions last night, and Pallas read them off to the girl. It was a scenic drive, made even better by each other’s company. 

Pallas kept making the girl laugh, as she told her about some of the people she’d met as she crossed the country, and the spectrum of the American citizenship. 

“You people have quite a variety,” Pallas joked, and then noticed they were supposed to be going left, “Oh wait, turn here!”

They flew right past it. Beverly chuckled as she slammed on the brakes, and carefully reversed.

“See, I told you I should have driven…” Pallas teased her.

As they started getting closer, they discussed their plan again. She had expected Beverly to start having second thoughts, but she seemed more resolute than ever.

“How far back to do you think you can erase?”

“I don’t know, everything? But I don’t really want to reduce him to like… vegetable state.”

“Well... if you can’t take away the horrible impulses that you’ve been preventing all these years, than yeah… vegetable the motherfucker… but Mark, we will just erase the weekend… he’s conceited as fuck, but…”

“Yeah. I agree. He seems pretty innocuous… plus he’s pretty young.”

They reached the lake house before nightfall. 

The hushed silence of the forest gave Pallas the creeps, even though it was quite beautiful. The pines spreading out over the rolling cliff sides for miles. The air crisp, full of oxygen, and the lake still, like glass, reflecting the darkening sky. Pallas always preferred cities, though, all the life and the action. Out here, in nature, things moved so gradually. These distant isolated places needed no predicting, they seemed to be everlastingly stagnant.

It made her extra alert to movement. She saw the guys coming out to greet them with smiles. And suddenly a part of her felt wrong. Like they shouldn’t be here. That they were being foolish. But, Beverly opened the door, stepping out, so she followed her. Pallas watched Sean’s movements carefully, eyeing his trajectory. But she saw he was just going to carry their bags. She picked them up instead and followed them up the walk, not taking her eyes off of him.

After dropping them by the door, they went down to the water. All of them looked out, reverently, as they watched Jefferson with his camera, taking shots of the forest. Pallas knew it wouldn’t be long before he turned it on to them, and she wanted to avoid that. But Beverly wrapped an arm around her, and she knew it was too late. 

She had to remember to destroy that camera; otherwise there would be proof they were here.

They had to get Mark out of the way before they tried for Sean. 

“Drinks?” she asked.

“Of course…” Mark said with a smile she didn’t like.

“I’ll help,” Beverly said, following him back up to the house. 

As she walked she turned back and silently gestured to Pallas, pointing at her eyes and then Sean. 

She shrugged at the girl like ‘no shit’ and Beverly smiled. Pallas winked back at her and then turned around to watch Sean. 

“So… you good?” she asked him, still studying his reactions, “You really trashed the store that day…”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that… I… I lost it.” 

She saw he was about to explain, so she stayed silent, listening carefully.

Sean started slowly, “Do you know any Norse mythology?”

She nodded her head. She knew a lot of different mythologies… that’s what happens when you basically grow up in a library. She had first gotten into them when the librarian had asked her about her name. 

“Do you know what berserkers are?”

She tried to hide her smile, “You think you're a berserker?”

He crossed his arms, and looked back to the water, “Yes.”

He was being really quiet, as if he was meditating as he stared out at the water. The stars were starting to peek out, and she saw him looking up at them. He seemed at peace.

Maybe they really could help him.

Damn. Beverly’s optimism was really starting to rub off on her.

But Mark’s smile stuck in her brain; there was something about it that wasn’t right. 

“I’ll… I’ll be right back…”

Going slowly up the trail, she kept glancing back at him, and then gave up and just walked backwards. 

She heard Beverly pleasantly joking with Mark inside, and only felt a modicum of relief. So she walked into the large cabin, and went over to them, still glancing outside. Mark handed her a drink, and she absently took it. He went into the back, saying he was going to get something.

She looked over at Beverly and noticed the girl was frowning. Pallas turned to her, raising her eyebrows questioningly. Beverly knocked the glass out of her hand, before Pallas could take a sip. It shattered across the floor. As they kneeled down to pick up the pieces, Beverly faltered against her. Pallas grabbed her shoulders, forgetting about the glass.

“B? Are you okay?”

Beverly was looking at her distractedly, as if she wasn’t really there. 

Fuck. She should have been watching Jefferson just as closely. 

The blonde put her hand out to steady herself and stuttered out, “You… you have to go…” 

“What the hell are you talking about…?”

“I’m… I’m not going to be able to stop him… “ Beverly said, sleepily. 

Pallas tried to lift her up, but the girl’s head dropped and she fell back to her knees. Concern flooded her. She took the girl’s hand, feeling her drowsiness.

“Shit. No, try to stay awake.”

The blonde shut her eyes, leaning against the counter, “He… he can’t hurt you…” she slurred, “You… you have to go…”

Her eyes fluttered open and then closed again, as Mark loomed over them with a grin.

“Ah, seems to work pretty fast…”

Pallas stood up, blocking Beverly. She grabbed a bottle off the counter, and smashed it on the edge to a point.

“Oh, you made a big mistake, asshole.”

Mark just smiled at her, eyes glinting behind his frames. She heard a noise from behind her, and knew the blonde was trying to get up. 

Mark seemed content just to watch them. Pallas thought about throwing the bottle at him, angling right for his jugular, but she was more concerned about getting Beverly out of there. 

She leaned the blonde against her, pulling her up from the floor. The girl was semi-conscious, standing unsteadily, but as Pallas held her she could feel her energy waning. She stumbled with her to the door, keeping her eyes on Mark. 

“If you move, one inch…” 

She hit the bottle against the table she was passing, seeing how the pieces would ricochet. A shard of it flew through the air and sliced his cheek. 

He put his hand up reflexively, wincing.

“Next one goes in your neck.”

He just froze, still staring at her, enraptured, as if he was trying to memorize every moment of the scene before him.

Fucking freak.

She backed out of the door, leading Beverly with her.

“We just have to get to the car,” she told the girl.

A quick glance over at it, told her that the tires had been slashed. She felt a fear settle over her skin. Where was Sean?

Fuck. Okay. 

She set Beverly down on the deck chair, staring around, bottle gripped tightly. A familiar adrenaline spiked through her veins. She was going to have to fight. She heard a loud noise out in the woods, and turned towards it.

Beverly was still half awake, telling her that she needed to go.

“Stop saying that, I’m not leaving,” she muttered idly, still on alert and looking around for Sean.

Mark was standing inside, leaning against the counter, and she wished that she had killed him just so she wouldn’t have to look at his creepy watchful eyes. She saw that he intended to stay that way, that his movements were dependant on hers.

Beverly tried to stand again, so Pallas went to her.

“Listen, we are going to be fine, you’ve been drugged. But I… I will get us out of here.”

The blonde was shaking her head, “You… you don’t understand… what he’s like… his power... he… he will kill you…” she said struggling to stay awake.

Beverly grabbed her hand, and Pallas saw what she was about to do. She frantically tried to stop her, but it was too late.

“Leave… leave now,” Beverly said persuasively, using all the energy she had left before collapsing against the chair.

Pallas lost her free will. She fought as hard as she could to ignore what the girl had said, but she couldn’t stop her feet from moving.

When she got about a mile away, her legs suddenly stopped walking. She fell to the ground, feeling a jolt of anguish. And then she stood up, picking up the bottle, and started to run back. She almost slipped on a root, but jumped over it instead. Dodging expertly around the trees, she sprinted through the woods.

Why was she able to go back? 

No. no. no. 

She busted back onto the property just as Sean was coming out of the door. She froze and looked at him, staring into his eyes. He was breathing heavily, wild eyed, glaring back at her. He smiled and then started to move towards her. 

Pallas lost all the will to live when she saw what was in his eyes. All the years of anguish and misery, she had finally found a home and he had taken it from her. A profound despair filled her soul, followed by an all-encompassing rage.

She didn’t care what he did to her, she was going to slice his face off with this bottle as he screamed in agony. If she rolled right, and then skidded forward, she could cut his leg and hobble him. She got ready to do just that when he spoke forcefully.

“Stop."

She froze.

“Come here.”

Her body started moving towards him. She could feel Beverly’s influence, now a twisted horrible thing distorted by Sean’s sick energy. She stopped when she was in front of him, horrified. He was the last person that should ever have this power. A piercing spike of grief went through her, realizing again that Beverly wasn’t going to come out of that cabin. Pallas tried to plunge the bottle into his stomach, wanting to cause him as much pain as possible.

“Drop it…” he said, commandingly.

The bottle crashed onto the ground. 

“Stay.”

She stared at him with hateful eyes, trying with all her might to hit him, hurt him, anything. But she was stuck. He gazed back at her fiercely, and then circled her slowly as she struggled to move. He stopped in front of her again. She glared back at him, full of loathing.

He chuckled maliciously, and said, “I love how much you hate me.”

“Fuck you,” she spat out at him.

“That could be arranged…” he said, smiling. “But for now, let’s just start with a kiss.”

He laughed again when he saw the disgust in her eyes, and then he commanded it. She tried with everything she had, to run away, to stop and fight, to do anything but move near him and press her lips against his. But when she did something happened. A firework shot through her brain, and they were both thrown backwards. She suddenly saw a string growing out from her, bright and fierce against the night sky. She had landed on her back, and saw the string urging her up. It pierced through her vision, impossible to ignore. 

She saw it leaded away from her, dashing through the night, and she knew where it wanted her to go. Pallas had seen the road, as it had flashed through her mind.

Sean was starting to get to his feet, so she grabbed the rock next to her and threw it as hard as she could. It hit his chest, knocking the wind out of him. He fell backwards, back onto the ground. 

Pallas rolled onto her stomach, and started to run. The bright ribbon of light didn’t disappear. It urged her forward, illuminating her vision, and showing her the path forward. She sprinted through the woods, covering her hands with her ears. 

Sean was chasing after her, crashing through the trees. She could sense him behind her, trying to close in. 

But she was faster.

The string turned sharply left, instinctively she followed it, letting it lead her through the forest, and out to the road. She ran down it as the rivulet of light swirled around her, and she saw a flash of a dirt bike. And then the string stretched out before her, leading her down another driveway.

So she followed it.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

AUGUST 4, 1992

 

Pallas had left the city after she’d said goodbye to Arthur, weeping into his shoulder as he’d held her tight. He had wanted her to stay, but she couldn’t. Being in the apartment without Beverly was breaking her. 

The string was still there, twirling around her passively. It wanted her to move as well. As she drove out of Seattle it stretched out onto the road in front of her. She didn’t know what it was, but for some reason it gave her a small amount of comfort. 

It kept her alive. From Sean as well as from herself. She felt hollow. Like a deep cavernous pit. But, she couldn’t dishonor Beverly that way, not after all the lives they had saved. Not after all the consoling words she had heard the girl speak to strangers. 

And that string…

Where did it want her to go?


End file.
